Wonderful Christmastime (working title)
by Soul Stealer 2K4
Summary: Sequel to "Christmas Wish" and "Merry Christmas Darling". The new body was a perfect replica of the one she lost when she was scrapped, and yet, there was something different about it. Droid technology had advanced since the Elemental Tournament, and Mr Borg told Zane that he'd commissioned some upgrades, but still there was something about it that Zane couldn't quite pin point...
1. Introduction IMPORTANT PLEASE READ

**Dear Readers,**

Thank you for your kind words and amazing patience. This fanfic has been written in its entirety, from start to finish.

Unlike "The Missing Brick", which is rooted in canonicity, this one is pure, unadulterated Pixane fluff and continues where "Merry Christmas Darling" leaves off. **If** it existed within the canon of the show, it would be just after the _Day of the Departed_ special, as the ninja are based in the Airjitzu Temple now, but before the _Hands of Time_ season as Pixal technically gets a body within that season anyway. It will start at a T rating but is likely to go up to M once a certain chapter is uploaded.

As before, I have a few notes:-

1\. Prepare yourself for innuendo and in-your-face cuteness, as this is a guilty pleasure project which has been ongoing since October of last year..

2\. Canonically speaking, Ninjago takes place in a universe which fuses Japanese and Chinese cultures and language. As my current knowledge is limited to Japanese culture (I've been there 3 times and have learned the language to a basic conversational level), you will find Japanese words and etiquettes detailed within. I'm not a weeaboo, I'm a Japanophile – there is a difference. I'm planning to do a Japanese degree at university next year and hope to become a translator.

3\. There are some new characters, however, they are not self-inserts, neither are they perfect; they have their own faults, their own history and their own problems. I created them for the purpose of world building.

4\. I want to reiterate that I have tried to keep canonical personality and speaking rhythms among the characters, but it may falter on occasion because of the fluff between Zane and Pixal.

5\. There are some things that will be brought up in one chapter that will not be resolved until a later chapter, so please save your questions for the end of submission. If after reading the whole story, you see a plot hole or don't understand the logistics of something, don't hesitate to get in touch.

6\. Lastly, bear in mind that I am British, so while I have made an effort to write in a way that Americans will understand as well (i.e. writing "paper towels" instead of "kitchen roll"), some British mannerisms, slang terms and idioms have slipped through because I couldn't find the American equivalent.

Thank you and I hope you enjoy my efforts.

Soulie x


	2. A New Adventure

Pixal stood before her beloved Zane and fondly embraced him. She thought she may never have this physical contact with him again, until he gifted her with a new, custom-built body as an early Christmas present. While she was grateful to be with him under any circumstances, she had to admit that being in his head all the time was slightly isolating; there were many times when she felt utterly useless to the team. And she couldn't deny that there was something extremely comforting about having his arms wrapped around her.

"Thank you again," she said to him as she reluctantly pulled away. "you've made me so happy."

"I am happy too, I missed seeing you in the real world." Zane replied, squeezing her hand in his.

"You two have got to stop being so cute, or I'm gonna end up with a toothache!" Jay playfully teased.

"Yeah, I hate to break up this adorable party, but I was hoping to borrow Pixal for a few hours, if that's okay with you both." Nya asked hopefully.

"That is fine with me," Zane responded, turning to Pixal with a warm smile. "we'll meet up at the Temple later."

"Of course." She smiled back.

Zane watched as Pixal and Nya headed over to the elevator. Nya was chatting away about... something, he wasn't sure what, with Pixal politely nodding in agreement. As the door opened and they stepped in, Pixal turned and sweetly waved at him. His power source seemed to jolt. He waved back, and when the door closed, he felt someone pull him into a headlock.

"Ha ha, you sly dog," Kai jokingly taunted, messing up Zane's hair before loosening the grip on his head. "looks like you were worried about nothing, she loves it!"

"I gotta admit, it was a good idea after all." Cole added, folding his arms confidently.

"I told you it looked great." Jay grinned.

"Yes..." Zane sighed as he looked over at the elevator.

The new body was a perfect replica of the one she lost when she was scrapped, and yet, there was something different about it. Droid technology had advanced since the Elemental Tournament, and Mr Borg told Zane that he'd commissioned a handful of upgrades for the former personal assistant, but still there was something he couldn't quite pin point...

"I must say, that was a most heart-warming experience." Cyrus Borg remarked, wiping a tear from his eye.

"It would not have been possible without you," Zane mentioned, offering a sincere bow. "I cannot thank you enough."

"It was your idea to rebuild her, and your input was vital," He insisted. "besides, her happiness is all the thanks I need."

"Well, we'll let you get back to your usual business," Lloyd politely said. "c'mon guys, we've got stuff to get done back at home."

* * *

As they left Borg Industries, Nya revealed that the task for which she needed to 'borrow' Pixal was in fact clothes shopping. As someone who had never done that before, Pixal wasn't entirely certain what to expect. Sure, she was no stranger to clothing – Mr Abakhan of the textile department had sought her opinion on designs more than once – but she had no previous desire to wear anything than her traditional purple and red uniform, and frankly, saw no need to wear anything else.

The streets were a bustling hive of commotion, Christmas lights twinkled in the elaborate window displays, friends gathered together for hot drinks and some last-minute shopping; the blanket of snow wasn't hindering peoples' activities in the least. One skyscraper held a digital countdown to Christmas Day; "4 days to go!" scrolled across the display in green writing. Pixal had seen this all before, but the prospect of spending the holiday with someone she loved was enough for the excitement in the air to affect her in ways it previously had not.

"We're here!" Nya announced excitedly, putting her arm around Pixal's shoulder as they stood at the entrance of a clothing store. "This is my favourite place for buying clothes, and they have some awesome stuff right now."

"I am not accustomed to wearing anything different," she spoke quietly.

"That's why you've got me here, I have an eye for style," Nya assured as they walked into a store. "at the very least you need something special to wear for the gala."

"Ah yes, the New Year's Gala."

Mr Borg often held parties and galas for his employees, and as his assistant, Pixal always attended them. Admittedly, she never really got quite as excited about them as other people did – perhaps because she never really understood them to begin with. While she was familiar with the idea of people having social gatherings to celebrate important events or milestones, she was always doing the planning for said events. Even performing in the New Year's Eve _fuyu no odori_ with other female employees was part of her job – though the ladies she performed with were always open and friendly towards her – but she had never been to one of these functions in a social capacity.

"That's the one!" Nya responded. "And there's our little Christmas Eve party too."

"You have a party at Christmas?"

"Nothing massive, just a little celebration we have to cut loose and de-stress," Nya confirmed as something caught her eye. "and you'd look so cute in that!"

Nya pointed at a purple top with long kimono sleeves. She dashed over to it and picked one from the rail. She held it against Pixal and nodded with great approval. Pixal had no idea what she was doing, so she just followed around as Nya picked out various garments and expressed a myriad of reactions to everything she looked at.

Pixal glanced around at other women who were also in the store. They too were behaving as Nya was; picking things up, looking them over, making bemused faces or smiling enthusiastically. Two teenage girls nearby were giggling at a neon pink sweater one of them had chosen from the rail, chuckling about it being "so 80's", whatever that meant. Pixal looked at the display next to her and picked up a pair of black pants with little diamantes sewn to the lower half. She held them and tried to understand what she was supposed to be looking for.

"Those are quite popular right now."

She turned to see a shop assistant standing next to her. The red-haired young lady was putting some more stock out on the display table and smiling politely. Pixal smiled back.

"Would you like me to find the right size?" She offered. "That pair might be a bit big on you."

"Yes, please." Pixal replied.

The lady put her hand on her chin and looked at Pixal with a discerning gaze. She tilted her head a few times and eventually smiled; she proceeded to rifle through the folded pants on the table and ultimately found the pair she was looking for. With a big grin, the assistant offered them to Pixal, who returned the wide smile as she put down the pair of pants in her hand and received the ones being given to her.

"Thank you… Jasper." Pixal said, reading the lady's nametag.

"There you are!" Nya called out as she hurriedly walked over. "I thought I lost you for a minute."

"I was looking around, and then I saw these." Pixal replied, showing the pants to Nya.

"Wow, those are pretty." Nya commented.

"Jasper found the right size for me." She beamed.

"Hey, I remember you!" Nya smiled. "You helped us a few days ago."

"That's right," Jasper smiled back. "so this must be the friend you were waiting for."

"Yep, we came straight here after meeting up again."

"Make sure you check out the ladies formalwear before you go, we got some new dresses in this morning." Jasper suggested.

"We will, thanks!" Nya smiled again and turned to Pixal. "C'mon, let's go."

They waved to Jasper as they made a sharp right and walked towards the back of the store. Nya had not even seen this section yet – last time she was here, she was upstairs with the other ninja in menswear – but she imagined, what with it being the 'party season' that they'd have a decent selection.

"Wow!" Nya gasped.

She wasn't wrong, in fact, she was blown away by the sheer scope of what was in stock. Pixal's eyes grew wide at all the beautiful, flowing, glittering garments. Mr Abakhan made things like this all the time, but she had never seen so many all in one place before. Then she noticed a sign, announcing the debut of the 'Destiny Collection'.

"Nya, come and look at this!" Pixal approached the mannequins on display, modelling several glimmering gowns. "These are Mr Abakhan's latest designs!"

"Are you sure?" Nya asked.

"Of course," Pixal beamed. "he uploads his sketches to a file hosting service that I still have access to."

"These dresses are stunning!" Nya declared.

As they wandered around the displays and racks of glamorous party attire, admiring the wonderful range available and mingling among the other customers, Nya noticed that Pixal was drawn to one display in particular. She approached the droid, who was deeply entrenched in admiration for the elaborate exhibition on the farthest wall.

"I have never seen such beauty." Pixal gushed.

She could not move her eyes away from the intricate, multi-layered white jacquard kimono. The under layers were a pristine porcelain white, while the topmost layer was lightly decorated with gold embroidered cranes. A flashy, red and gold formal kimono hung behind it, accentuating it even further.

"You do realise that's a bridal outfit, right?" Nya chuckled.

"Oops," Pixal placed her hand over her mouth. "I had not noticed that."

"Don't get me wrong, it's gorgeous, but a bit over the top – even for a gala." Nya grinned.

"Perhaps we should find something else." Pixal admitted sheepishly, retreating from the uchikake.

"How about I pick something _for_ you," Nya suggested. "while you try on these other things I picked up."

"Okay." She agreed.

Nya led Pixal to the nearby fitting room. As the droid was ushered into one of several small curtained off cubicles, Nya handed over the stash of clothing that she had steadily been accumulating, including the long-sleeved blouse she picked up they first walked in, and the diamante pants which Jasper gave them.

"This whole activity still seems very alien to me." Pixal mused as she hung the various garments on a peg by the long mirror.

"Just pretend you're one of that guy's assistants, they model his designs all the time, right?" Nya advised, referring to Mr Abakhan.

"True."

"Right, you try some of these things on and I'll pick out a gala-worthy dress for you," Nya smiled. "I'll check on you in a few minutes."

Pixal was an advanced AI, but she was so unfamiliar with the concept of changing into different clothes that it would be easy to think she was clueless – only at the New Year's festivities did she ever wear something other than her uniform. As she pulled off her cross-cut shirt, she looked at herself in the mirror with some curiosity; she had removed her shirt in the past many times, but that was to perform routine maintenance, and she didn't usually feel the urge to examine herself in this manner. Her torso was an exact duplicate of the one she lost, with all the familiar curves and lines she was used to, but it still felt... different. Pixal put the long-sleeved shirt on and adjusted it around her hips. She glanced at the diamante trimmed pants the store assistant gave her and, without thinking, removed her purple pants and put the black ones on.

"You okay in here?" Nya asked as she poked her head around the curtain.

Pixal spun round, slightly startled.

"Sorry," Nya apologised as she entered and put her hand on her hip. "wow, you look great!"

"I still do not quite understand the purpose of changing ones' outer garments in this manner." Pixal thought out loud, glancing curiously at the deep, v-shaped neckline of the shirt.

"It's like, a form of expressing yourself, a means of projecting your personality," Nya explained as she straightened out the sleeves. "it's also a great way to get some attention from someone you like."

"Do you think Zane will approve of my dressing in this manner?"

"Approve of it?" Nya grinned wickedly. "Oh, he'll _love_ it..."

Pixal couldn't help but smile at the idea of making Zane happy, especially after he had done something so wonderful for her. Though she wasn't sure why this would make him happy, Nya had known Zane longer and would have a good idea of what he liked and didn't like. Not that she hadn't learned anything from all that time living in his head, but it couldn't hurt to get a second opinion.

* * *

The next day however, Pixal remained unconvinced.

When she wore some of her new clothes for Zane that morning, she received a most unexpected reaction. His facial circuits quickly became overheated and from his general direction she heard several fuses explode. He struggled to look her in the eyes, but the sincerity in his voice – as he fumbled his words to try and tell her how amazing she looked – was unquestionable.

However, as she held the long-sleeved shirt in her hands, she wasn't sure that this whole changing clothes thing was for her. She sat on Nya's bed in a bandeau bra and a pair of shorts and sighed; she wasn't particularly enthused by the idea to begin with, but especially since it didn't appear to be very effective – Zane's attention seemed diverted from her as opposed to being drawn towards her.

"Hey Pixal?" Nya called as she opened the door. "Oops, sorry! I didn't know you weren't dressed."

Nya hurried inside and shut the door behind her to spare Pixal's modesty.

"I thought I was." Pixal replied, obviously confused.

"Well, almost..." Nya corrected, handing her a t-shirt and reminiscing on her brother's tales of the early days, when Zane's own lack of situational awareness caused much bewilderment among the other ninja.

"You did not have to buy me all these clothes," Pixal insisted as she pulled the shirt over her head, the neckline of which was so wide that the right sleeve slipped down and exposed her shoulder. "although I am no longer his full-time assistant, Mr Borg continues to compensate me for the work I completed."

"Call it a gift," she smiled. "it's the least I could do, I can't tell you how much I appreciate some female company."

"It was very kind of you, but even so, I do not think Zane approves of the new clothes I have been attired in," Pixal noted sadly. "he cannot even make eye contact with me."

Nya grinned knowingly. She had seen Zane's reaction to Pixal's impromptu modelling and it was telling; Pixal had excitedly skipped over to him and stood exactly as Nya had told her to – with her hands behind her back, leaning slightly to one side and gently swaying her shoulders. Zane quickly became flustered and turned his gaze away, awkwardly attempting to compliment her.

Pixal gave a small bow, as was her mannerism from being Cyrus Borg's assistant, and quickly headed back in the direction she'd come from. Zane's eyes were fixed on her until the last moment – the thin cotton shirt fitting to her form perfectly, her black pants sparkling as she hurried away… she'd only been gone mere moments before he limply fell against the nearest wall, dropped to the floor and sat there for a moment, lost in a lovesick haze.

"Well, you know Zane, he's not always great at expressing himself," Nya assured her. "maybe we should try a different colour – he's so used to seeing you in purple."

Pixal's scepticism continued, partly because she had developed something of a liking for purple.

Her bemusement continued the longer she mulled over the whole situation. Zane had seen her in uniform before now – partly consisting of a cross-cut shirt which exposed her left side down to the waist – but it was not framed in such a way as to accentuate anything. The purple top, although beautiful, was clearly designed to highlight a particular area. An area that quite obviously affected Zane in ways unfamiliar to Pixal.

Nya looked over at the flummoxed droid, who stood in front of a full-length mirror and tilted her head, as if trying to fully examine her own body. Nya noticed that the cutely casual outfit Pixal was currently wearing – one shoulder shirt, cute sporty shorts, little white socks – would be perfect to test on Zane.

"Perhaps you're right though, maybe you should try a more casual look." Nya approached Pixal from behind and reached out for the hair tie which kept her signature pony tail high on her head.

Seeing this in the mirrors reflection, Pixal turned around, and as she did so, the hair tie came out in Nya's hand. Within moments, the mass of soft silver hair began to unfurl from its tied back position, flowing down past her shoulders. She didn't know she could undo the pony tail she always had, and consequently, had never tried to do so. Having said that, her hair used to be metal – cold and unmoving – perfect for always looking neat and presentable as Mr Borg's assistant but serving little other purpose.

"How unexpected," Pixal whirled around to once again gaze in the mirror as she admired this new feature. "it appears that Mr Borg decided to upgrade the specifications on my original design."

"Zane did say something about upgrades being commissioned for your new body, but even he didn't know exactly what was being upgraded." Nya mentioned.

"I wonder what else has changed," Pixal speculated, looking at her companion inquisitively.


	3. Getting Heated

Jay excitedly tinkered with a large, unidentifiable device on the floor of the living area, while Cole and Kai were trying to evenly disperse the lights on the Christmas tree. It didn't seem to be going well – they'd been fighting this battle for longer than was necessary, so long in fact that the darkness of winter's early nights had crept in; currently the only light source in the room were the ones on the tree.

"I'm telling you, this side is looking kinda plain..." Kai insisted.

"That side will be facing the wall, it doesn't need as many lights as the front." Cole argued back.

"Every year we have this problem," Jay laughed. "If you guys would stop fighting each other and focus on what you're doing, it would be done by now."

"Maybe if you gave us a hand instead of... whatever it is you're playing with, it would've been done last week," Kai crossed his arms in frustration. "which is when _I_ wanted to put it up in the first place."

"This happens to be a northern light projector, and if I can get it working we won't need lights on the tree, we can just put the ornaments on and shine this baby on it!' he grinned proudly.

"Yeah, _if_..." Kai chuckled as he rolled his eyes.

"I'm telling you, those little LED's can't compare to the magnificent beauty of nature!" Jay spoke with great conviction and held out his arms for dramatic emphasis. "Glowing with the pure majesty of a night time rainbow that few have ever been privileged to witness!"

"Yes..." Zane sighed dreamily.

The others looked at him curiously. He sat cross-legged on the floor, leaning his elbow on his knee and propping his head in his hand. He'd barely said a word all day and was even now just staring off into nothing. Come to think of it, he'd seemed a bit out of sorts ever since this morning.

"Hey Zane, you okay bro?" Kai wondered.

"Huh, what?" Zane blinked a few times and lifted his head from his palm; he appeared to have returned to Ninjago at last.

"He's probably still recovering from that shock he had earlier," Lloyd piped in as switched the main light on. "eh, Zane?"

He sat up straight and grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh, _that_... it is nothing to be concerned about," He assured them. "just a blown fuse."

"More like five," Lloyd corrected, glancing at Kai defeatedly. "I thought someone was lighting off fireworks."

"That sort of thing doesn't happen for no reason, ya know?" Jay smirked, waving his screwdriver in Zane's direction. "So, spill – what happened?"

As if on cue, Pixal walked in, and Jay froze.

"Wha-?" He stuttered, stunned at the sight of the glowing circuits on her legs.

"Yes, that is what happened." Zane concurred as Pixal stood behind him.

Nya followed soon after, bringing with her some drinks and an assortment of cookies. She leaned over to ruffle Jay's hair with one hand, while placing the treats on the table with the other. Nya then stepped into the farce that was her companions attempts at festive decorating.

"Seriously," Nya sighed. "I thought you'd be done with the lights by now."

"We would have, except Jay insisted on playing with that little box, instead of helping." Kai remarked.

"What part of 'majestic glowing night rainbow' do you not understand?" Jay answered in a slightly irritated tone, once again wielding his screwdriver as a pointing device.

As the two continued their frustrated banter with Nya playing the part of referee, Zane was frozen in place, having seen Pixal sit next to him while wearing considerably less than usual. He was curious whether or not she knew that her uniform appeared to have shrunk in the laundry, given that she was arguably showing a lot more of her legs than he was accustomed to seeing. Pixal, being used to a certain level of decorum when sitting, waited for Zane to speak before she said anything, though judging by the feverish look on his face it didn't seem like he was in the mood to talk.

"Hello Zane," Pixal greeted him cheerfully. "are you enjoying your evening?"

Zane struggled to verbalize anything, even more so as he turned to meet her gaze. He saw those green eyes of hers bore into him, practically glittering with her characteristic sweetness, and opened his mouth to speak... only for nothing to come out. Flashbacks from this morning flickered in his mind as his line of sight trailed along her neck and down her shoulders.

"The electrical connections in your cheeks are overheating again, would you like me to examine them?" She whispered, shuffling closer to him.

He opened his mouth but, yet again, no words came out. Even if he knew the right words to use, he was certain that it wouldn't have been something he should say out loud, so he bit his lip to prevent anything untoward slipping out. Pixal watched his intensely focused stare go further down her body and was greatly concerned that he had suddenly become mute; something that had never happened before. By the time he had fully absorbed the image of her, he had fallen into a deep catalepsy that he had never experienced before.

"Zane? Is everything alright?" Pixal exclaimed, her pitch slightly higher than normal.

And just like a spell being broken, her acute tone of voice brought him out of his trance. He shook his head rapidly and soon realised the dominating position he was in – practically looming over her like a hawk over its prey – and quickly returned to his previous seated place. Zane, embarrassed about his conspicuous behaviour, momentarily turned away from her.

"Forgive me, Pixal, I was lost in thought, just admiring..." He looked her up and down once more, when he suddenly noticed something he hadn't earlier. "...your hair, I did not know it was so long."

"It is also very soft; would you like to touch it?" She asked innocuously.

Lloyd spat out the mouthful of soda he was drinking and coughed jaggedly.

"You okay?" Cole laughed, roughly patting Lloyd's back.

"Fine, fine." Lloyd choked out hoarsely.

Zane, not the slightest bit distracted by Lloyd's sudden soda evacuation, reached over and gently stroked Pixal's hair. She seemed to lean into his hand as he felt her feathery tresses.

"It does feel particularly silky," He agreed. "also, I did not expect your hair to be this length."

"I can make it shorter again if you prefer..." She mentioned, mistaking his statement for an indication of distaste.

"No!" He accidently blurted out, clearing his throat before continuing. "No, no, I like your hair long, it is beautiful."

As he reached over to the table to grab a cookie, he caught the attention of Jay, who was smirking at him and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Zane took a bite and looked back at him curiously.

"Pixal, how can you wear shorts in this weather?" Jay asked. "I feel cold just looking at you."

"Unless programmed to do so, droids do not feel the cold." She replied politely.

"But they do feel the heat, right?" He said, grinning pointedly at Zane, who was unable to respond given that he had his mouth full.

"Indeed, it is a peculiar occurrence." Pixal agreed.

" _Behave,_ " Nya hissed at Jay, slapping his shoulder. "well, we'll leave you guys to it, come on Pixal, I need you to help me with something."

"Of course," Pixal replied with a smile. She stood up and followed Nya, turning briefly to wave at Zane. "I will see you later."

"Yes..." He sighed contentedly, waving back at her.

As soon as the girls had left earshot range, Cole started chuckling, followed by Kai and then Lloyd. Zane watched with confusion as Jay was the last to join in the reverie.

"Did I miss something?" Zane stated as the incessant snickering died down.

"So _that's_ why you blew a fuse earlier." Jay realised.

"I've never seen anyone in shorts that short, not even in the summer!" Lloyd noted with a grin. "Seriously Kai, what did your sister do to Pixal?"

"Reprogrammed her, it looks like," Kai joked, turning to Zane. "she's got it bad, that one."

"I'm telling ya, if Pixal keeps this up you're gonna need to install a phase change unit in your head," Jay cackled wickedly while soldering. "Master of Ice or not, when she sat next to you in that getup, I could see your circuits frying from here."

"It's not surprising though." Cole announced suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Jay pondered out loud, momentarily putting his soldering iron down.

"Zane and Pixal have been together all this time, but they didn't officially 'get together' until like, yesterday," Cole looked at Zane with a look of total certainty. "I think she just wants a bit of attention from you."

Astounded by Cole's succinct observation, all the other ninja couldn't help but stare at him.

"...What?" He asked.

"That has got to be the most sense you have ever made... like ever." Jay said with great admiration.

"In Zane's defence, Pixal has been hogged by my sister for most of today and yesterday," Kai casually mentioned. Suddenly, he stopped and looked over at Cole. "wait, what do you mean by 'attention'? What do you call that a minute ago? With the compliments and stuff?"

Cole gave an exasperated sigh.

"I don't mean like _that_ , I mean, you know... _attention_..." He repeated, making air quotes with his hands and clicking his tongue.

Slowly, all but Zane seemed to understand _exactly_ what Cole was talking about and the perpetual chuckling continued from earlier.

Cole kneeled down and put his hand on Zane's shoulder.

"How do I explain this in terms you'll understand?" Cole paused for a moment. "Um, sharing sensitive data? Connecting ports?"

"How about 'merging files'?" Jay suggested. "No wait, I have a better one – 'plugging in the flash drive'!"

As his friends continued to make double entendre wordplay that – without his funny switch on – didn't seem to sink in, Zane was reminded of an interesting conversation he had with Cyrus Borg when he was helping to rebuild Pixal's body…

" _Thank you so much_ _for letting me rebuild her," Zane said for perhaps the twentieth time since the project started. "It will be so good to hold her again..."_

" _You know Zane, Pixal was supposed to be a prototype, but as time went on, I realised just how special she was – I couldn't bring myself to mass produce her like she was just some inanimate object," Cyrus recalled fondly. "eventually, all I wanted was for her to be happy, and I'm so pleased that she found someone such as you; I will make sure she has whatever she needs to live a good life with the one she loves."_

"Whatever she needs…" He mumbled out loud.

Zane, only vaguely aware of the verbal shenanigans that continued during his mental absence, suddenly jumped up and ran out of the room. His friends stood there, utterly bewildered by their fellow ninja's sudden movements... until Kai said something about playing with a joystick, at which point they all fell about laughing.

* * *

Zane knocked on Nya's closed door. He heard footsteps from the other side and soon found himself face to face with Nya herself.

"Oh, hello," he began. "is Pixal here with you?"

"Hey Zane," she smiled. "no, she's not here right now, but she can't have gone too far, she just said she needed 'space to think'."

"Thank you." He replied.

He was pretty sure he knew where to find her, given that when she was still in his head, she would be with him whenever he needed a place of calm for contemplation. And that place was usually the roof.

As predicted, there she was, sitting on the other side of the roof and looking up at the darkened sky. In the short time she had been up there, a light snowfall had started, and a thin layer of snow rested on her head, arms and legs. The heavy sound of the roof door closing behind him caused her to look over her shoulder. She smiled as he approached.

"Hello Zane," She airily spoke. "may I assist you?"

"No, no, I just... wanted to be with you," He answered as he sat down next to her. "despite yesterday's... revelation, we have not spent much time together."

"I suspect that Nya was excited to have some female company," Pixal surmised. "she has taught me about the human habit of changing clothes."

"Yes, I figured that she might have had an... influence on your clothing choices." He ran his hand through his short hair and glanced upwards for a moment, before looking at Pixal once more.

"Do you approve of me dressing differently?" she questioned.

"Yes, I mean, no, I mean... my approval is irrelevant; as long as you are happy, then I am happy," Zane insisted, smiling at her. "so, are you adjusting to your new body?"

"I believe so, though there is definitely something different about this one," She glanced down at her hands. "I suspect Mr Borg may have included some new features."

Zane had noticed. Even yesterday, when he saw her in her new body for the first time, he could sense there was something different. He knew that Mr Borg had commissioned some upgrades, but he never mentioned what those upgrades were or what they did. Even now, he still couldn't figure out what, exactly, had changed, but he also couldn't deny it was having a profound effect on him.

"I meant what I said."

"About what?" She replied.

"Your hair, it really is beautiful," He repeated. "and you do look amazing."

"Thank you." Pixal smiled to herself.

She sighed and looked out into the distance; the lights of New Ninjago City were glowing on the distant horizon. Shining in the darkness like a radiant beacon and drawing her in with their luminescence.

"Do you miss New Ninjago?" Zane wondered.

"Not as much as I missed being able to look at you." She beamed at him warmly and placed her hand over his.

Zane smiled and shuffled closer to her. He lifted her hand to his face and kissed it, eliciting a small giggle from her. A strange pulse surged up his spine at the dulcet tones of her laughter. He moved a little closer, so close he could have pulled her into his lap; dare he be so forward? It seemed like the closer he got to her the less self-control he had. He couldn't explain it, it was as if some kind of deeply encrypted programming had unlocked and washed over him like a virus. The same haze that consumed him earlier had devoured him once again, as the once lightly falling snow became a little heavier.

"Pixal..." He breathed.

"Yes, Zane?" She meekly asked.

He bit his lip and gently stroked her cheek as she watched his every move, her eyes full of innocent curiosity, until his hand rested on her jawline.

"You are beautiful." he whispered, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Oh Zane..." she mewed sweetly, leaning into his hand.

Zane, no longer able to stop himself, pulled Pixal towards him, placing her squarely in his lap as she squealed in surprise from the sudden movement. He snaked his arms firmly around her waist and discovered an unexpected softness to her. A low murmur rumbled in his throat and he softly nuzzled her shoulder.

"Oh..." She shivered as he kissed the back of her neck.

She could feel her body responding to him in ways it previously had not. Her original body did not have the updated capabilities this one did, and as such the strange sensation she felt in her hips was a considerable surprise.

"Zane..." She purred, arching her back in response to the electrical pulse in her lower half.

"You know, until I found my blueprints, I did not know I was a droid," he growled in her ear. "all that time I thought I was human, no one ever made me feel like this."

"I have always known what I am," She mumbled, breathing heavily. "but what I feel for you, it does something to me which I do not understand."

Pixal draped her legs comfortably over his knee and faced him as she rested snugly in his lap. They glanced into each other's eyes, transfixed in a smitten daze, barely an inch of a breath between them. Zane, with his arms still wrapped around her, briefly bit his lip before smoothly kissing the corner of her mouth. Overtaken by some unknown impulse, Pixal put her hands on either side of his face and kissed Zane square on the mouth. He melted into the softness of her lips, kissing her in return with such passion that it sent her mind spinning.

It was a heated, lascivious moment of intensity that neither had felt before.

When the kiss was eventually broken, both were seemingly out of breath, overheated and hovering between lucid consciousness and complete shut-down.

Before anything could be said, the roof door swung open, and the concentrated snowfall seemed to stop instantaneously.

"Hey guys!" Cole called out. "Jay got his light box working!"

"Okay," Zane squeaked, before clearing his throat. "we will be there in a moment."

"Just don't be too long, it might blow up in the meantime!" Cole laughed raucously as he shut the door.

Alone again, Zane and Pixal's eyes met, their cheeks flush from the heat of the situation, locked in a moment of contemplation… and shortly thereafter, both began chuckling. She clambered out of his lap and onto her feet. She held out her hand and helped him up. Zane stumbled but was steadied by Pixal's assistance.

"That was fun," she beamed, rubbing her left arm and cutely looking at him. "can we do this again?"

Zane glanced at her, the honesty on her face was undeniable. Of course he wanted to do this again!

"Yes," he replied, taking her hand in his and leaning over to kiss her forehead. "when we are alone."

They walked back to the roof door and, in a show of gentry, Zane opened the door for Pixal, gesturing for her to go first. He couldn't explain the way his power source surged at her graceful smile, or how much he admired her elegant stride as she walked in front of him. After such an intense experience, he had many questions, and wondered if any of his teammates would have the answers.


	4. Bonding Ritual

**WARNING - LEMON INBOUND**

Hello reader. I hope you are enjoying the story so far. Be warned, this chapter is where things get naughty - and where we find out exactly what kind of "upgrades" were commissioned for Pixal's new body. We also have a glossary word for this chapter.

Haori - a light, hip- or thigh-length jacket worn by both men and women with kimono. They are worn for warmth as well as to add formality.

* * *

"WHAT?" Cole yelled, pulling Zane into his room and closing the door behind him. "Say that again?"

"I need to talk to you about intercourse." Zane repeated.

"Dude, if this is about what I said earlier, I was only yanking your chain." Cole insisted.

"Innuendo aside, I am perfectly serious," Zane said. "after what happened on the roof-"

"Oh ho, so I _did_ interrupt something then?" He smirked, raising his eyebrows.

The droid sighed deeply, and his eyes went glassy, as a wide, lovesick grin took over his face. Zane crossed his arms and stared off into nothing as he had been doing earlier, floating away into the still fresh memory of being with her on the roof; in the quiet of the night with snow falling around them, her bright, smiling face beaming at him, her soft inviting lips…

"Oh yes…" He growled.

"On second thoughts, I don't wanna know." Cole interrupted him, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"I Just need some advice," Zane pleaded. "I know the specifics, I know the science, I know how 'things' work, but how do I bring it up with Pixal?"

"What do you mean?"

"I cannot just ask such personal questions about her... equipment." Zane felt his face heat up again.

"Pffff..." Cole put his hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter. "Listen, if you really can't ask Pixal, your best bet is Nya."

"I do not understand." Zane answered with a perplexed expression.

"Look, Nya and Pixal are sharing a room, right? And Nya's been gearing Pixal up, yeah?" Cole expounded as Zane nodded in agreement. "Well, you know what girls are like, I guarantee if Pixal has noticed anything 'interesting' about her body, the person she'll tell is Nya."

"Even so, it will be a most awkward conversation to have." Zane rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Well, it's a bit late at night to be calling Mr Borg," Cole shrugged. "but I can't imagine it'll be any less awkward asking Pixal's creator about this sort of thing."

Zane mused on the ideas given to him. Cole was right, it was far too late to be calling Mr Borg on a non-emergency basis and asking _him_ about Pixal's... features... would be considerably more uncomfortable than asking Nya.

"Thank you for your help." Zane said candidly as he walked out of Cole's room.

He walked the halls for a moment, before stopping at the entry to the living area, where Jay's northern light projector was still shining over the Christmas tree. It was every bit as majestic as Jay said it would be, glimmering against the baubles and emulating a shower of sparkle all around the room. When they first came down from the roof and saw it themselves, Pixal was drawn to it like a moth to a flame, the dazzling gleam reflected in her inquisitive eyes.

Seeing no one else in the room, Zane took the opportunity to switch the lights off. He headed back to his own quarters, opting to leave any awkward conversations for the next day.

* * *

"Your light box turned out pretty good," Cole said as he sat opposite Jay the next morning. "what's your next project?"

"I don't know yet, just waiting for inspiration to strike." Jay replied as he took a bite from the slice of toast in his hand.

"So, what was the inspiration behind the northern light projector?" Cole wondered.

"The thought of dealing with you and Kai fighting every year." Jay smirked, snickering between bites of toast.

Just as Cole was about to retaliate with a clever witticism of his own, Zane entered the room, stretching his arms upwards and yawning loudly.

"Well, well, good morning Romeo," Cole teased. "spoken to Nya yet?"

"About what?" Jay asked, looking back and forth between Cole and Zane.

Before Zane could protest otherwise, Cole leaned over the table and began whispering into Jay's ear. Jay's expression went from mildly confused to open-mouthed shock and wide eyes, after which he promptly dropped his toast and lifted his hands to his face.

"No way!" Jay exclaimed, grinning at Zane like a mad man. "I thought we were only joking around yesterday, I didn't know you actually wanted to-"

"I have always loved Pixal, but I have never really thought about the physical side of our relationship until I saw her yesterday morning," Zane mentioned, taking a seat next to Jay. "it certainly was not the first thing that occurred to me when I asked Mr Borg to rebuild Pixal's body."

"I agree with Cole, you can't exactly go asking Cyrus Borg – he's basically Pixal's dad – so Nya is your best shot." Jay concluded.

"Can I get that in writing?" Nya joked as she entered, causing Zane to jump in his seat.

"Hey, Nya…" Jay smiled flirtatiously as she helped herself to the juice in the fridge, pouring out a small glass of orange.

"Have Kai and Lloyd left already?" She asked, having a sip of juice.

"Yeah, they've gone grocery shopping." Cole said.

"I hope they took the list with them," Jay pondered. "we need everything on that list for the party."

"So… when I walked in, you were saying I was 'your best shot'; what did I miss?" She enquired with a smile.

And without missing a beat, Zane immediately responded.

"Jay was just saying what good taste you have in clothes," he bluffed. "you made Pixal look so cute, he would love to see you in something similar."

Both Jay and Nya immediately started blushing.

"Is... Is that really what you think, Jay?" She sweetly beamed at him.

"O-of course," Jay grinned back at her.

"Maybe later, I could show you some other stuff I got while I was out shopping with Pixal, if you like..." She replied, putting her glass in the sink.

"Yeah, yeah that would be awesome!" He excitedly agreed.

"Later then." Nya winked as she walked out of the room.

"Oh, hey Nya, wait up!" Zane jumped up and went after her.

Jay, his face still red as a cherry, turned to Cole with a big silly grin on his lips.

"He might not be human, but he makes a good wingman." Cole chuckled to himself.

* * *

"So, you've come to me for a favour?" Nya repeated. "Well, make it quick, I gotta go out for some Samurai X weapons testing."

Zane raised his eyebrow at her.

"Hey, I might be a ninja now but I still gotta keep the Samurai X equipment working, you never know when we might need it."

"I just have some questions," Zane restlessly played with his hands. "and I hesitate to ask, but you're the only person I can talk to about it."

"Is this about Pixal?" Nya asked him outright.

"Yes." Zane sighed.

"Oh I get it, you're coming to me to find out what Pixal's been saying about you, right?" Nya incorrectly guessed. "Well, you'll be happy to know she's completely enamoured of you – I don't know what you said to her on the roof, but she was practically floating in my room last night."

"Wow, really?" He put one hand on his chest and smiled warmly. "Actually, that was not what I wanted to ask, but thank you for the insight."

"Zane," Nya looked him in the eye and put her hands on his shoulders. "are you wondering about her sexual capabilities?"

Immediately, 3 of his fuses exploded, and thin lines of smoke emerged from the joins of his face plates.

"I totally get that you maybe don't wanna ask Cyrus Borg about this, but I'm not the right person to ask either," She corrected. "you need to speak to Pixal, so go take a shower or meditate in your room – whatever will help you muster up the courage to ask – and just be honest with her, okay?"

Nya smiled at him confidently.

Zane watched Nya walk away from him and his heart sank. He was hoping to bypass any awkwardness with Pixal but had inadvertently dropped himself right in it. Now he had no choice but to ask directly. In his time being a ninja, he had faced many deadly foes, fought many outnumbered battles, had died once and come back regardless, but all that seemed so easy compared with his current task.

Nya was right about one thing though; a shower would be great for his nerves. He went into each room to see if anyone needed to use the facilities before he got into the shower, only to find the entire temple empty; Cole and Jay were no longer in the kitchen, Kai and Lloyd left half an hour ago and Sensei Wu was currently on a long-distance errand himself. There was no sign of Pixal anywhere, but he imagined she was on the roof as she had been last night.

 _Pixal..._

Zane smiled to himself as he turned the shower on and waited for the water to heat up a little before stepping in. Not that the temperature made much difference to him, but he liked the residual steam that came from using hot water. He rinsed his face and hair, and the water droplets trickled down his body in a very soothing manner. Although not a one for admiring himself, Zane looked down at his body; he was a droid, but externally, he had everything a human of his programmed gender had... quite literally. Would it really matter if Pixal didn't?

"Of course not," he said aloud, answering his own question. "I love Pixal, nothing will change that."

He turned the shower off and wrapped a towel around himself – the temple was empty when he got into the shower, but that didn't mean it was still empty now that he was out. He walked over to his room, to find the door ajar, which wasn't how he left it.

 _An intruder?_ He thought.

Zane took a deep breath and launched himself through the door in a defensive pose, ready for battle... only to find Pixal looking incredibly jittery.

"Pixal? Forgive me, I did not expect to see you here." He apologised.

"I am very sorry," mumbled a startled Pixal as she bowed. "I did not expect you to come in without knocking first."

"This is my room, typically you only knock before entering the room of someone else." Zane explained.

"Oh yes, so it is, I was wondering why Nya's ninja attire was suddenly white and silver." She smiled.

Zane looked at Pixal, wearing only lilac shorts and one of his haori jackets, and stifled a growl that threatened to rumble from his throat. He fixated on her, standing cutely in his room wearing very little, and struggled to maintain his composure.

"Is everything alright Zane?" She questioned, noticing he was covered only by a towel about his waist.

"Yes, of course," He replied, his voice a notch or two deeper than usual. "would you like to sit down?"

"Thank you." She said, taking a seat on his bed as he sat next to her.

"You look very cute in this." Zane grinned, touching the lapels of the haori which was draped over her shoulders and catching a glimpse of her bare chest underneath it.

Pixal smiled and put one hand on her cheek. She could feel her external circuits getting hotter the longer she looked at him; he was sitting so close to her, water was dripping from his body, and with nothing but a towel to prevent their bare legs from touching, there was much to get overheated about.

Zane bit his lip and found himself slipping into the same wanton haze as last night.

"Pixal..." He whispered, his voice exuding a rich longing.

"Zane, there's something you must know," She squeaked. "this body is not like my previous one, there is something... new about it."

"I noticed that you now have a malleable outer dermal layer," He specified. "last night, when I held you, I could feel the softness."

"Yes, but that is not what I am referring to." She mentioned.

"It is your eyes then," He insisted, placing his hand under her chin and gently raising it so he could see her verdant eyes more clearly. "there is an undeniable glitter in them, it is like looking into a galaxy of stars."

"Perhaps, but I have not examined them to that extent." She admitted, her face getting even hotter than she ever thought possible.

"Pixal, I love you for being you," He gently kissed her cheek. "nothing can change that."

"I do not understand why I have this particular feature, it is not a charging port and it creates a strange pulsation whenever you look at me..." She grabbed his hand and thrust it directly into her shorts, squarely between her legs. "Tell me; what is it? What purpose does it serve?"

Several more fuses exploded as Zane realised exactly what Pixal had done. As she held his hand to such an intimate area, he realised it was hot and slightly moist. A shiver ran up Zane's spine. Pixal watched as his eyes became intense and desirous, and just feeling his hot, lustful breath on her cheek was very exciting for her. He briefly kissed her lips and, without a word, took her free hand and placed it underneath the towel he had round his waist.

"I do not understand." She stated as she touched the long, hard feature beneath his towel.

"What you have and what I have, they fit together," He managed to say while she was groping him in confusion. "it is something humans do; it is a pleasurable bonding ritual that helps perpetuate the species, but for A.I. like us, it is for bonding and pleasure alone."

"So, it is another way for us to connect!" She excitedly declared.

Zane nodded at her. Her smiling face soon fell slightly as she looked at him with great apprehension in her eyes.

"I am concerned that it will not fit into my port without damage." She expressed worriedly.

"The last thing I want is to hurt you," Zane promised. "if you want me to stop, just say so."

Pixal was not entirely sure how this would work, but she trusted Zane completely. As he moved forward to kiss her, and she kissed him back, she could feel her body gently falling onto the softness of his bed. He leaned directly over her, his piercing blue eyes glanced at her lovingly as he peppered her with gentle kisses. Pixal could not explain the electrical signals surging through her body, but so consuming was his touch that her mind could not focus on anything else.

Zane briefly withdrew his kisses, and instead softly caressed her lips with his tongue, causing her to shiver. After a few moments he placed his mouth over hers and kissed her longingly, fervently; savouring every second of delicious contact. It was just like their encounter on the roof, only now they were alone, with no one to distract them and no clothes to get in the way. Well, almost. He gently tugged on her shorts, indicating a frantic need to have her. She raised her hips, slid off her shorts and tossed them aside, brushing against him as she did so.

The momentary contact caused him to draw a sharp intake of breath. He shuddered wildly and growled at her, removing the towel from his waist. Zane put his hands on her breasts and gently squeezed them, which caused Pixal to let out a loud, glorious moan. The soft dermal layer was especially plump there, and it was a luscious experience for both of them. Every sensual sound that spilled from her lips made him throb. His breathing became heavy and desperate, he wanted her so badly. She groaned as he moulded her body in his hands, and his rigid structure teasingly rubbed against her.

He stroked his right hand delicately down her stomach, all the way to her most sensitive area. Slowly, he began to stimulate the tenderness inside, earning some more erotic tones from her. She began to writhe and arch her back at his soothing touch, making the sweetest sounds of enjoyment with every stroke. It seemed the more he touched her, the more lubricated she became. For a moment, he had an out of body experience. Was this really happening? Where did he learn all this? He was touching her as if he had done this before – as if he knew his way around her body despite this being their first time – his movements were automatic; something was guiding everything he did. He watched her face contort with pleasure while subtle moans escaped her lips, and his intensifying passion overtook his logical mind.

All thoughts of how or why were drowned out by her vocal mewling. He paused the sensuous affection he had been lavishing on her and raised her hips with both hands. He placed himself right at her entrance and hesitated.

"Pixal, are you ready?" He questioned.

"I want you, Zane," She purred. "make me yours."

Slowly, gently, he entered into her, stopping frequently to make sure she was okay. Her face emulated nothing but pleasure, but he continued to be tender regardless. This was the first time for both of them, and he was determined for it to be enjoyable for both of them also. After a few moments of gradual movements towards her, he managed to get inside her completely; he shivered erratically – her walls were hot, wet and silky soft, enveloping him like a dripping satin tongue. Even just grinding against her felt amazing, something she obviously felt as well, as she wrapped her legs around him and pulled him closer. He withdrew a little before lightly thrusting into her, eliciting a most delightful groaning sound as he continued the tender rocking motion.

"Oh Zane..." She gasped, placing her hands over her head and spreading her legs a little wider.

She wanted more of him, as much as he was able to give. He obliged her silent request by moving slightly faster than he had been, gently building up speed as he placed her right leg over his shoulder. Her vocalisations seemed to get stronger – more urgent – in this new position, and it made him all the more excited. Stimulated by both her body and her voice, he lifted her onto his lap, still passionately thrusting into her.

"Pixal..." He murmured.

She placed her arms round his neck, pulling him deeper into their intoxicating embrace. Just the feeling of her breasts pushing against him was fiercely erotic and his legs were shaking from the intense sexual indulgence. Droplets of shower water still on his body soon evaporated into a steamy mist as his body went into a white hot overdrive. Her squeals of delight were like music to his ears as he glanced at the stunning beauty pressed against him. He absorbed the image of her face, overcome with sultry satisfaction and moaning deliriously.

"Zane... something... is happening," She panted in ecstasy. "I feel... strange..."

"I… feel it too…" He breathed as he continued pushing into her. "do you… want to… stop?"

"No!"

She clung to him harder, simultaneously tightening her grip on him elsewhere. It was enough to push both of them over the edge, as a euphoric wave of energy forced Pixal into soft reboot. Mere milliseconds later, Zane too felt the rapturous swell of release. He held onto her as a surge of electrical charge transferred into her body. After a minute of savouring their respective ecstasy, they smiled at each other, panting softly. Seconds later, sparks started flying and they both shut down, passing out in each other's arms.

* * *

Zane eventually woke to a monstrous headache; he always got a headache when he slept in too long. He wasn't even sure why he was still in bed at all, until he rolled over to see Pixal lying beside him, still wearing his white and silver haori but otherwise completely naked.

"Ah!" He immediately sat up and cradled his head as the whole carnal affair replayed in his mind.

Her face awash with delight, her voice as she moaned in response to his loving motions, seeing her reaching the peak of pleasure and consequently shutting down. He thought about the abundant mutual enjoyment they had experienced, and he wondered; was this one of the upgrades Mr Borg spoke of? Cyrus had outsourced these mysterious upgrades, so it was possible that when he had said he wanted to make sure Pixal had 'whatever she needs' to live a good life, he was referring to this particular physical modification.

Even in her sleep, Pixal was conscious to Zane's movements, and she too rolled over, only to see him sitting up and looking as though he were deep in thought.

"Zane," She sleepily asked from beneath the warmth of his blanket. "is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything is fine," He smiled, stroking her hair.

"Are you sure?" She queried. "You look like you are in pain."

"I need to replace a number of fuses," He lightly chuckled. "such is the affect you have on me."

Pixal sheepishly smiled and pulled the blanket further over her head. Zane couldn't help but grin at her cute nature. He got up, threw on a t-shirt and some pyjama pants, and headed over to his bedroom door. He stopped for a moment, looking back at Pixal, who was rolling around under the covers and giggling. Smiling to himself, he left the room and closed the door behind him.

He walked past the kitchen, stretching his arms outward and rotating his head from side to side. Why was his neck so sore? Maybe he just fell asleep at a strange angle. Come to think of it, he didn't really fall asleep as such, he just passed out. Explaining this to the others was going to be interesting. Would Pixal be allowed to sleep in his room or would she have to continue sharing a room with Nya? Would it have any impact on his friendship with the others? Should he have asked himself these things before he decided to have sex with Pixal?

He would get answers to those questions in due time, right now, however, he needed to focus on replacing the blown fuses in his head and torso. On his way back to his room, he once again entered the other rooms to see if anyone was home yet, only to find that they were all still out. To be honest, he was relieved, he didn't know how soundproof his bedroom was, and things could've gotten very awkward.

When he opened the door to his room, he saw Pixal was no longer in bed but was sat at his desk once again wearing his haori and her lilac shorts. She spun around, and he could see that she had begun to gather the tools to fix his burned-out components.

"You are back," She grinned at him as he approached. "would you like to sit down so I can begin your repairs?"

He sat on the bed as she rolled towards him in the swivel chair, armed with replacement fuses and a flat head screwdriver.

"It is a good thing that we installed so many back-up currents into you," Pixal mentioned "any other droid would not work at all if this many systems failed at once."

"I guess I am no ordinary droid." He laughed.

"No, you are not," She glanced at him with a coy smile. "now keep still, I need to remove your face plate."

Zane watched her intense focus as she gently pried the left side off with the screwdriver. She placed it next to him on the bed while she started to remove the damaged parts from his left cheek. As Pixal set about replacing the faulty fuses, he got a better look at what she was wearing and could feel himself getting overheated again.

"Zane." She spoke, not taking her eyes off the task at hand.

"Yes Pixal…" He replied.

"You are overheating quite quickly these days," She mentioned as she took out another destroyed fuse and replaced it with a new one. "it is concerning."

"I cannot help it," He answered. "you light a fire in me."

Pixal paused for a moment and observed his sentimental expression with great enthusiasm. She smiled at him, and as she innocently licked her lips, the fuse she just put in promptly blew up. They were both startled for a moment, but soon melted into light-hearted chuckling. He smirked at her and shrugged. She placed her hand on his chin to adjust the position of his head. With the last of his cheek fuses fixed, she reattached his face plate and turned his head to face the other way. She pried the right face plate off and managed to replace the fuses in that side without incident.

"I need you to take your shirt off." She said as she fastened his right face plate back on.

He did as he was told, pulling the shirt over his head and throwing it to one side. Pixal ran her fingers along the sides of his torso, trying to locate a point where she could get into his chest cavity. At this point Zane was glad he was wearing loose pants, as her delicate touches were doing things to him that he couldn't control. Admittedly, Pixal knew exactly where to pry to remove the chest plate – she had helped to rebuild him after all – but she was rather enjoying just touching him like this. She had never stopped to look at his body before, it only really came to her attention earlier on, when he walked in on her trying on some of his clothes – he had obviously just gotten out of the shower at the time; water dripped down his face and torso, hot steam was floating upward from every bare inch… it was fascinating for her.

She took the screwdriver to the right side of his abdomen and gently levered the casing open from three different points. As she opened the panel to observe his inner workings, her eyes were drawn to the heart-like power source that he had halved to bring her back, not just once, but twice. After the blackout, he had given her half of his heart. Then when he rebuilt himself, and she had found a second power source, he halved it again when Cyrus Borg created another body for her.

Just the memory of his sacrifices was enough to bring her to tears.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked, concerned that she had started crying out of nowhere.

"I am just thinking about everything you have done for me." She wept.

"I would do it all again in an instant," He promised as he reached up to wipe her tears away. "I would do anything for you Pixal."

"Zane, you are so good to me," She sniffled. "I will do my best to be worthy of your affection."

"You already are." He confidently said, shuffling closer to her and placing a loving kiss on her soft, supple lips.

Pixal melted into the sweetness and began kissing him in return. Zane wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled into her neck as his power source began glowing. He moved towards her and as he went to pull her into his lap… he got stabbed in the side by the screwdriver Pixal was still holding.

"Ah!" He cried out, holding the area where he'd been prodded.

"I am so sorry!" She squeaked.

"No, no, it is okay," He insisted, removing his hand to show there was no damage. "see, no harm done."

"Perhaps we should focus on finishing your repairs." She timidly said.

It did not take long for Pixal to locate and replace the broken fuses. Perhaps it was for the best that she had integrated so many fuse boxes when she rebuilt his circuitry. She loved seeing his original blueprints, but because he had been originally built from spare parts, she was restricted to specific technology when rebuilding him. The last thing she wanted was to use modern equivalents and risk interfering with his ninja and elemental abilities. Once finished, she closed his chest plate over and smiled at him.

"Thank you," He beamed as he stood up and put his t-shirt back on.

"You are most welcome," She replied. "I should probably get dressed also, the others will most likely be home soon."

"Pixal?"

"Yes Zane?"

"…I love you." He smiled sincerely at her.

"I… love you too…" She answered sweetly.

She stood in the doorway and studied him for a moment. Droids were hardly commonplace, but she had never met another droid like him before; that said, she had never met a human like him either. Between his elemental powers and his determination to fight for what he believed in, he was just an extraordinary individual.

Pixal soon realised she'd been staring and quickly waved at him before making her exit.


	5. Suspicions

Lloyd and Kai returned from grocery shopping to find the headquarters eerily quiet. They placed the bags on the kitchen counter and looked at each other, utterly mystified; where were the others? The silence was soon broken when Jay and Cole barrelled in through the back door, laughing and joking about something that happened while they were out training.

"-the look on his face when you lifted that girl's motorbike with her still on it!" Jay's infectious laughter rang out.

"She seemed impressed by it; him, not so much." Cole chuckled.

"Hey guys," Jay said when he noticed Lloyd and Kai. "what's up?"

"Not much – we've just got back ourselves," Kai mentioned.

"You've gotta be kidding!" Cole stated, slightly surprised. "You guys left before we did!"

"The list Sensei Wu left for us was super specific, some of it was so obscure we had to look it up." Lloyd informed them, shaking his head as he recalled the rigmarole of finding dragon fruit specifically with the white insides.

"I wonder how Zane got on..." Jay said, nudging Cole in the ribs.

"How Zane got on with what?" Lloyd asked, once again mystified.

Jay and Cole looked at each other and promptly broke down into copious amounts of laughter.

"Let's go find out, shall we?" Cole smirked, gesturing toward Zane's room. "Probably best if we go quietly, just in case we're interrupting anything."

"Interrupting?" Kai raised an eyebrow.

"Never mind, just, stealth mode, okay?" Jay agreed.

Lloyd and Kai, having no idea what was going on, decided to go along with it regardless. If this was the only way they'd get answers, then this is the way they'd go about it. All four of them surreptitiously made their way first to Nya's room, but the door was open and there was clearly no one there. Then they heard giggling, so it was off toward Zane's room. As they stood in front of the closed door, they heard a female voice giggling again, and then they heard Zane.

"Shhh! They'll hear you..." Zane whispered as he also started chuckling.

Jay raised his hand to cover his mouth and Cole was sporting the biggest grin imaginable, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Kai still looked very confused, but for Lloyd the penny had finally dropped as Jay knocked on the door.

"Hey Zane, can we come in?" Jay asked in a sing-song tone of voice.

"Yes, the door is open." He said calmly.

Not sure what was going to happen next, they hesitated for a moment before opening the door and looking inside. There was Pixal sitting at the desk, wearing a hoodie and jeans, drawing something up on draft paper, while Zane was pointing out things on what she'd drawn so far; he too was fully dressed, much to the confusion of Jay, who was expecting to catch them in the middle of something less... routine.

"Hello," Zane looked up from Pixal's work and smiled at his teammates. "We were wondering when you would be back."

"I bet you were…" Cole mumbled under his breath.

"So, what are you guys up to?" Jay innocuously asked.

"Pixal is designing some upgrades for me, to prevent any more fuses from randomly exploding." Zane replied.

"Zane said you mentioned a phase change unit, it is a good idea," Pixal said to Jay. "I am in the process of locating the best positioning for it."

"Okay, we'll leave you to it for now, but when you're done Zane, we need your cooking skills – the Christmas party's tomorrow." Lloyd smiled, closing Zane's bedroom door.

The four ninja stood outside in the hallway for a moment. Lloyd gestured to them and they all made their way to the living area.

"Care to explain what that was all about?" Kai demanded, still thoroughly confused.

"Kai," Lloyd sighed. "you remember what we were talking about yesterday?"

"You mean about the Christmas tree?"

"No, about Zane… and Pixal…" Lloyd corrected.

"How could I forget?" Kai chuckled, looking at Cole. "Especially when you came back down from the roof and said they were up there alone."

"Well, we've all been out of the house, all day – Nya and Sensei Wu aren't back yet either – so, with everything that's happened, what do you think these two-" Lloyd pointed at Jay and Cole. "-imagine Zane and Pixal might have been doing; all alone, at home, together?"

The realisation on Kai's face was almost instantaneous.

"No way!" Kai yelled, repeating Jay's reaction from that morning. "I thought we were just joking around!"

"That's exactly what I said!" Jay waved his hands around in front of him.

"I'm back!" Nya announced as she walked through the door.

"Hey Nya, how'd the weapons testing go?" Jay asked, beaming widely at her.

"I need to recalibrate a few things but apart from that it went great," She smiled, happy with what she had accomplished. "where's Pixal?"

"She's still in Zane's room." Kai casually mentioned.

"What do you mean 'still' in Zane's room?"

"As far as we know, she's been in there all day working on blueprints." Cole said with a hint of dubiousness.

"Well I'm gonna go see how she's doing," Nya insisted. "if I see Zane, I'll get him to come start the food prep."

And on that note, Nya strolled away without another word. She did have a point; they had a lot of preparation to do for their annual Christmas Eve party. It was only ever a small affair – food, drink, music and dancing in the comfort of their own home – but it was always a lot of fun. Zane was without question the best chef out of all of them and had developed a reputation for his culinary treats – he had a penchant for cheesecakes in particular – and it would not be Christmas Eve without his elaborate strawberry sponge cake.

Nya approached Zane's room and just as she got to the door, it opened. Out stepped Pixal, followed by Zane, who leaned over to give her a kiss.

"So, you _have_ been with Zane all day." Nya grinned, standing with one hand on her hip.

Startled, both Zane and Pixal turned to see Nya, looking mighty entertained by the sight of them coming out of his bedroom together.

"Hello Nya, I have been designing some upgrades for Zane, would you like to see them?" Pixal enthusiastically asked.

"Sure." Nya replied.

Pixal excitedly ran into Zane's room and back out again, armed with a cardboard tube containing the roll of draft paper she was drawing on earlier.

"If you want, I can go over them with you," Nya commented with a smile. "I gotta get changed first, but I'll meet you in the living room, yeah?"

"That would be appreciated, thank you." Pixal bowed.

She briefly grabbed Zane's hand and gave a little squeeze, before letting go and skittering away toward the living room. With Pixal out of sight, Nya looked at Zane with a presumptuous raised eyebrow, grinning at him as if silently asking him for all the details.

"Well…?" She pried.

"Well, what?" Zane innocently repeated.

"How did it go?" Nya urged him for an answer.

"I have not discussed it with her yet." He insisted.

"So, you're telling me that she's the same nervous droid I left behind this morning?" She summarised. "That she just magically stopped being so shy about being here alone with you?"

"You forget, Pixal was in my head for some time, we were often alone together." He reminded her.

"That's not even close to being the same as this situation – give it up, Zane," She sighed, growing weary of his attempts to brush her off. "it's obvious you spoke to her about it, so I'll ask again; how did it go?"

Zane turned away slightly, his cheek connections were rapidly overheating again – he couldn't wait to get that phase change unit installed, these ill-timed warm fronts were giving him away. Nya continued staring him down expectantly, crossing her arms and tapping her foot.

"Very well..." Zane sighed and dropped his shoulders. "We discussed the situation, and I have come to understand that she does in fact have the required... components for us to have an intimate relationship."

"See? It wasn't difficult was it?" Nya smiled. "Pixal is so naive, so good natured – I knew talking to her about this wouldn't be a big deal."

"Indeed..." He said, scratching the back of his neck and wondering if he should tell her that they had in fact already tested their physical compatibility.

"I'm gonna get changed," She said. "and _you_ need to make the strawberry cake for tomorrow."

Nya walked away, and Zane gave a sigh of relief. He headed out towards the kitchen and noticed Pixal in the living room, showing Jay some of her designs. He seemed impressed and even made some suggestions for relocating some of the more superficial connections. Zane smiled; she was just so cute.

"You wouldn't believe how hard it was to get white strawberries." Lloyd said, interrupting Zane's thoughts.

"I can assure you that it will be worth the effort, they have a natural candy taste and will go nicely with the red ones." Zane smiled gratefully as he rifled through the bags of groceries to find what he needed.

"I'm looking forward to our Christmas Eve shindig," Kai mentioned. "it'll be a great chance to chill."

"Yes, it will be a lot of fun." Zane agreed.

"I bet you've been looking forward to having Pixal here, like, physically." Lloyd mentioned.

"There are not enough words to accurately express my gratitude," Zane reminisced. "I sincerely thank you all for making it possible."

"Nah, you and Cyrus Borg did the hard part, we just came along for emotional support," Kai patted Zane on the shoulder. "we know how much you wanted her to be here."

Zane sighed whimsically as he set about making his once-a-year specialty. Cooking was one of the things his father taught him, and he felt a great passion for it long before he rediscovered his memories. The yearly party they had was a good chance to put those skills to use. The things he made for his friends were always special. He appreciated having compatriots who were so tolerant of his social misunderstandings, especially in the early days when he was still trying to find himself.

"You need a hand with anything?"

Zane looked up to see Cole standing beside him.

"I was just measuring out the ingredients before I start," Zane said. "could you assist in putting the rest of the groceries away?"

"Okay. So, are you making your strawberry cake?" Cole asked hopefully as he began pulling items out of the bags on the counter.

"Of course." Zane smiled, washing his hands before he started.

"Yes!" Cole whispered and pumped his fist in the air. "I love sweets anyway, but your cakes are the best."

"Thank you." Zane replied. "I enjoy making this one in particular."

As Cole finished putting the last of the fresh items into the fridge, and started putting the dry stuff in the cupboard, he watched Zane meticulously measuring out each ingredient, prepping the necessary utensils and pre-heating the oven.

"You really dig this cooking thing, don't you?" Cole noticed.

"It is a skill my father taught me, and it makes people happy," Zane looked over at Cole with a peaceful smile. "in that respect, it makes me happy also."

"That's cool," Cole said, leaning on the counter. "so… did speaking to Nya help at all?"

In a knee-jerk reaction, Zane accidentally shattered the egg that was in his hand, sending albumen and eggshell splattering all over the floor. Cole grabbed some paper towels and helped his friend clean up the sticky mess. Zane then washed his hands again and retrieved another egg from the fridge, this time cracking it open into the bowl immediately and disposing of the shell.

"Yes, it did help," Zane finally responded, cracking two more eggs. "not in the way I expected, but yes."

Cole was about to ask another question, when Pixal appeared in the doorway.

"Hey Pixal, how goes the drafting?" Cole asked.

"Very well thank you, Jay and Nya are enjoying a conversation regarding design options, so I decided to come in here and see how you are doing." She replied, putting her hands in the pockets of her hoodie as she approached them.

"Actually, I was about to go lift some weights," Cole announced with a smile as he headed toward the door. "catch you two later!"

"Hello Zane," She beamed at him. "how are you?"

"I am good," He grinned back. "I'm just making a strawberry Christmas cake – I do this every year."

"Oh yes, Nya had mentioned this special cake you always make for the party," Pixal stated. "may I offer my assistance?"

"If you like, you could cut the stems from the strawberries for me," Zane said, pointing to both the red and the white berries. "I need four of each type with just the stems cut off – they go on the top of the cake – and the rest need to be cut lengthwise into half inch pieces."

"Organising festive occasions was one of the tasks I would perform for Mr Borg," Pixal revealed as she washed her hands and Zane handed her a small knife. "the New Year's Gala, birthday parties for important board members, the Summer Social, quarterly employee award ceremonies..."

"I knew you used to organize the New Year's party, but I did not know you had a hand in all the parties he threw," Zane smiled. "you never mentioned that you were such a social butterfly."

"I am not," She corrected as she started cutting the fruit. "I worked behind the scenes; ensuring the event was correctly set up, ran smoothly for the duration and was neatly concluded at the end of the proceedings."

"So, you have never been to a party for fun?" Zane pondered, whisking sugar into the egg mix.

"I was built to assist, so I assisted, that was my purpose," Pixal acknowledged. "fun did not come into the equation until... Well, until I met you."

Zane paused and smiled at her as she continued chopping the strawberries. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. Pixal was caught off guard by the sudden and unexpected show of affection. With a gentle grin, she returned the gesture, along with a subtle wink; something Zane did not expect at all. His face went red and he quickly turned his gaze to the flour he was sifting.

Pixal was initially confused by his reaction; Nya had said that this flicker of one eye was a visage of flirtation that Zane would like. Although, given how hot in the face he was getting, it appeared that it was more effective than she first assumed. She tilted in his direction and leaned into his shoulder; another low-key form of showing affection, she was told.

"Mmm… your body produces a most comforting warmth." She mused, nuzzling her face against him as she finished the task given to her.

In one swift motion, Zane put down what he was doing and scooped Pixal up in his arms, gently kissing her face as he smoothly waltzed around the kitchen. She put her arms around his neck and giggled wildly as he held her like a bride being carried over the threshold. Her laughter was the sweetest sound he had ever heard, and he couldn't help but join in with her revelry.

"You are nice and warm now?" He chuckled.

"Yes!" She squealed between raucous, high pitched giggles.

While gliding around the kitchen with his beloved Pixal, Zane failed to notice that they had company, until an errant throat clearing by someone suddenly made him stop. Pixal, still reeling from the joyful whirling around, was waiting for her gyroscopic stabilizers to counterbalance the dizziness she was currently immersed in.

"Interesting training method, young Zane," Sensei Wu noted as he stood in the doorway. "are you attempting to teach Pixal Spinjitzu?"

"Not exactly Sensei, I just got a little carried away." Zane replied self-consciously as he gently set Pixal down on her own feet.

"So did she, it appears." Wu stated.

"My apologies," Pixal bowed respectfully. "it was not my intention to distract Zane from his duties."

"There's no need to apologise, such moments of enjoyment are good for morale." Wu smiled.

Pixal bowed once more and excused herself from the situation. She waved to Zane as she walked away, and he waved back to her. With Pixal gone, Wu approached Zane with a knowing glance.

"I knew you two were close, I suppose I did not realise how close you had become." The old master said.

"Sensei, while you were gone, Pixal and I expressed our mutual love for each other," Zane confessed. "I hope this will not be a problem."

Wu thought for a moment, stroking his white beard as he mused over the feelings he once had for Misako – the love he lost to his brother. Furthermore, he pondered the budding romance he had seen growing between two of his other students, namely Jay and Nya. It would be most remiss of him to scold Zane for having feelings that were so natural.

"Love and compassion are as important to your ninja training as practice and skill," Sensei Wu finally said. "the bonds we forge in life are like the bonds we forge in battle – they ground us, give us reason to keep going."

"Yes Sensei." Zane said as he bowed.

"...are you making your strawberry Christmas cake?" Wu questioned, seeing the mixing bowl and chopped strawberries on the counter.

"Yes Sensei." Zane replied.

"Very good."

Sensei Wu did a silent fist pump on his way out of the kitchen. Zane smiled and continued where he had left off from earlier, melting some butter with a splash of milk and adding it to the mix he'd made so far.

 _Well, at least that is one less thing to worry about..._ Zane thought.

But there were still questions left, questions about room sharing, about the impact this might have on his teammates, about how much of their relationship should be public knowledge. Such queries danced in his head as he poured the mixture into a lined cake tin. He gently lifted and dropped the cake tin on the counter a couple of times to break any bubbles in the batter, before he placed it in the oven. Well, no matter the answers that would eventually come, for now at least, it would have to wait until after the party tomorrow.


	6. Pre-Party Prep

**Merry Christmas reader!** Thank you for your continued patronage of my writing. Please find the following chapter - the first of two that I'm posting on the same day, as I may not be able to go online tomorrow. You know, spending quality time with family like.

* * *

Nya was up early as usual, preparing a list of things that needed doing before the party later that day. Before anything else though, the public areas of the temple needed a thorough clean. She glanced at the time and wondered if she could rope the other ninja into helping before they went out for training.

The question soon answered itself when Jay appeared to be up and about not long after her.

"Jay, what great timing!" Nya smiled.

"Well, we do have a party for get ready for," He replied. "so, what's on the list?"

"At the moment, just cleaning," She sighed. "I'm not exactly looking forward to it myself, but if you wouldn't mind helping, it'll go a lot faster."

"Okay." Jay grinned.

"Really? Wow, thanks Jay!" Nya put her hand on his shoulder. "That's so sweet of you."

"It's no trouble." He said, blushing slightly.

"We'll start in the living room, I think the last time we deep-cleaned in there it was the summer solstice." She laughed.

Armed with dish cloths, sponges, several cleaning sprays, a broom and a bucket of hot water, it was clear that Nya was on a mission. She asked Jay to set up the ladder, so she could get to the corners of the ceiling and, being the decent guy he was, he happily obliged. Wielding a feather duster, Nya started climbing the ladder, only for it to wobble slightly.

"Jay, would you mind holding the ladder for me?" She requested. "It's not as steady as I thought it was."

"Sure." He said cheerfully.

Truth be told, he liked the idea of helping her out with anything really. He had developed a liking for Nya from the day he met her, a liking that soon developed into a fierce passion, and those feelings only got stronger the more she was around him. As she started going up the ladder, he firmly held the sides and placed his feet at the base of the ladder legs, all the while watching her to make sure she was safe. Nya reached over with the duster and ran it along the edge of the ceiling, getting all the dust and cobwebs that had amassed since the last proper clean.

"Okay, I need to do the other corners now, if you don't mind helping me some more." Nya smiled as she started climbing back down.

"Anything for you." He smiled back with a wink.

Nya's cheeks began to redden at such a gesture; Jay was not always so forward with his affection, so when he was, she always noticed. With her mind elsewhere for a moment, her foot slipped, and she started to fall. Jay, living up to his status as master of lightning, quickly caught her just before she hit the ground. The velocity of which caused him to fall over as well. It took a moment for Nya to realise what had happened and, once out of her daze, looked at Jay with great concern.

Before anything could be said, the ladder suddenly followed suit and fell. Nya flinched, expecting the worst, but when she heard the crash of the ladder hitting the floor and then nothing else, she glanced up. Jay had put his hand out and deflected it. With his right arm around her and his left arm outstretched to divert the impending danger, it was obvious to Nya that he had protected her from not one, but two painful accidents in the space of a minute.

"Jay! Jay! Are you alright?" Nya asked, her voice full of panic.

"I'm okay," Jay eventually said, still smiling at her. "but if you wanted a hug, all you had to do was ask."

"You dope!" Nya joked, throwing her arms around him and giving him an affectionate squeeze.

Jay reciprocated the embrace, warmly hugging her in return. The loud noise created by the incident soon attracted some attention, as Kai and Cole barrelled into the living room.

"Is everything okay? What was that crashing noise?" Kai paused as he witnessed Jay and Nya on the floor. "What are you doing to my sister?"

"I fell off the ladder," Nya insisted, as Jay got up and helped her to her feet. "Jay saved me."

"We really need to get rid of that ladder," Cole mentioned. "it's tried to kill me more than once."

"I'll set it on fire later." Kai promised.

"Well, seeing as you're both up, you can help me and Jay with the cleaning," Nya said as the two ninja rolled their eyes. "hey, no cleaning, no party."

They stood with their arms crossed, thoroughly unconvinced by Nya's threat.

"Hey guys, you do realise that no party means none of Zane's cake either?" Jay noted as he taped the feather duster to a spare broom handle.

Kai and Cole looked at each other, their eyes wide with horror. The threat of missing out on one of Zane's delicacies was one thing, but his special Christmas cake? They weren't going to stand for that.

"I'll do the bathroom, you do the kitchen," Kai instructed, with Cole nodding in agreement. "ninja go!"

They each grabbed a sponge and some spray cleaner and dashed away to their respective destinations. Nya couldn't help but laugh at the sheer motivational power of cake; who knew it was so easy to get her teammates to clean?

"I thought that might work." Jay grinned.

"It certainly did," Nya responded. "I've never seen my brother move so fast!"

"I'm also hoping this will work," Jay said, handing Nya the broom handle with the feather duster duct-taped to one end. "this might be a safer way of dusting the ceiling."

"Thanks," She smiled. "I owe you one."

"It was nothing really, just a bit of duct tape." He humbly shrugged.

"Not what I meant." Nya ran her hand through her hair and reached out to stroke his arm, beaming at him sweetly.

"Oh... right," Jay nervously chuckled as his face burned bright red under Nya's admiring gaze. "well, you know, I'd do anything for you."

Nya, with her hand still on Jay's arm, pulled him in her direction and placed a gentle yet indulgent kiss on his cheek. Jay froze. When Nya saw his besotted face, she couldn't help but giggle at his adorable reaction.

"Oh Jay... you in there?" Nya waved her hand in front of his face, eventually luring him out of his frozen state. "We still have to finish cleaning."

"Of course, sorry about that." Jay laughed.

"Now that I can reach the ceiling on my own, would you mind doing the windows for me?" Nya asked.

"Sure," He smiled, picking up the ladder and moving it out of the way.

As Jay picked up the glass cleaner and a dish cloth, Lloyd walked in looking thoroughly confused.

"What's with Kai?" Lloyd wondered. "He's cleaning the bathroom like a mad man."

"We threatened him with missing out on cake." Jay chuckled as he sprayed one of the windows and started wiping it.

"Ah yes, the big clean-up before the party," Lloyd nodded. "speaking of which, you need any help?"

"Jay's helping me in here, so you can either help Kai in the bathroom, or Cole in the kitchen," Nya instructed.

"Well, Kai looks like he's okay on his own, I think I'll go help Cole." He decided, strolling off towards the kitchen.

"I wonder where Zane and Pixal are?" Nya wondered out loud, only for Jay to start lightly snickering. "What?"

"I think it's pretty obvious where those two are." He wickedly grinned.

"Pixal was still in my room when I got up," She said innocently, until she saw Jay's mischievous expression. "what exactly are you getting at?"

"I think you know what I'm talking about – didn't Zane ask you about it?" Jay replied with raised eyebrows.

"Jay!" Nya hissed, her face going bright red. "You don't think that Zane and Pixal have actually…?"

"Hey, it's not just me, Cole thinks so too – after all, they were alone together all day..." Jay corrected. "I don't know if droids can do that sort of thing though."

"Droids are capable of most activities," Pixal said as she entered the room, startling Jay to the point of falling over. "What is it that you are unsure of?"

"Jay thinks you can't dance," Nya explained as Jay mouthed 'thank you' for covering him.

"I cannot," She mentioned sadly. "but Zane has been attempting to teach me."

"There'll be plenty of time for dancing at the party tonight," Jay promised, having recovered from his prior shock. "Cole is doing the music and he knows how to make it bounce."

"Where is Zane anyway?" Nya pondered.

"I do not know, he was not in his room." Pixal spoke anxiously.

"Why do I get the feeling he's gone out for more ingredients?" Nya sighed. "He's done this before; he finds a new recipe and has to try it – it could be the middle of the night but that won't stop him."

"Do you think he'll make that candy cane sorbet again?" Jay drooled, reminiscing fondly on last year's 'eleventh hour' dessert.

"You and your sweet tooth." Nya smiled as she shook her head.

"I know, I know," Jay sighed. "I'm sweet enough already."

Nya rolled her eyes while silently agreeing.

"While you're waiting for Zane to get back, you could go see how Kai is getting on." She suggested.

"Affirmative." Pixal beamed, heading off toward the bathroom.

"You really think something's happened?" Nya looked at Jay inquisitively.

Jay didn't answer, but his audacious smirk said it all. Just as she was about to start sweeping the room, there suddenly erupted a shrill, electronic cry.

"Yaaaah!"

Nya ran in the direction of the sound and discovered Pixal, sitting on the bathroom floor, with her head and torso absolutely soaked in water. Kai was apologising profusely and had draped a towel around her shoulders.

"What happened?" Nya asked.

"I was rinsing down the tiles when something made me jump," Kai explained. "I spun round and accidentally sprayed Pixal with the shower head."

"I-it was my f-fault," Pixal insisted. "I-I should not have s-snuck up on him."

"I'm so sorry!" Kai apologised again.

"Calm down, bro, she'll be okay once we dry her off." Nya assured him.

Kai helped Pixal up and Nya took the sopping droid to her room. She closed the door and got some more towels from her closet. Nya removed the small towel from Pixal's shoulders, so she could pull off the wet t-shirt she was wearing. Nya then placed a larger towel around her that covered most of Pixal's body. She put another towel over Pixal's hair and began gently rubbing in an attempt to dry it. Pixal was enjoying the feeling of being wrapped up in the towel, it reminded her of being in Zane's bed, snuggled under his bed covers, the warmth of his body beside hers...

She unwittingly let out a deep, amorous purr.

Nya stopped in her tracks, unsure if the noise had come from Pixal or if she was hearing things that weren't there.

"My apologies," Pixal stated. "for a moment I was unable to control my vocalizations."

"I've never heard you make that noise before." Nya admitted as she continued drying Pixal's hair.

"It is not a sound I usually make, but it is connected to a memory."

"Let me guess, is this memory connected to Zane?" Nya smiled knowingly.

"Yes, he makes me feel safe and loved," Pixal confided, her eyes softened, and her lips curved into a love-struck grin. "it is more than I could have ever asked for."

"So, he's never done anything… inappropriate around you?" Nya queried.

"Oh no, he is most definitely a droid of honour," Pixal replied. "yesterday morning, he was so gentle with me."

"That's Zane alright," Nya said as she put down the towel and tied Pixal's hair into a ponytail. "well your hair is dry now, we'll need to restyle it before the party later though, and- wait, what happened yesterday morning?"

"I admit, I was craving his company, so I went into his room," She confessed, looking down at her hands. "he let me try on some of his clothes and then he held me, it was very soothing."

"Aww, how adorable!" Nya cooed. "C'mon, let's go see how the cleaning is going."

Pixal removed the towel from her body and put on a dry t-shirt, folding the towel and neatly placing it on the floor. The two left Nya's bedroom and made their way back to the living room, with Nya peeking in the bathroom to see if her brother was finished cleaning. As it happened, he was, and had done a pretty good job too; such was the motivation of Zane's specialist cake.

Nya expected to see Jay and Kai in the living room, but when she saw Lloyd and Cole too, she was a little confused.

"Have you guys finished the kitchen already?" She asked.

"Not exactly," Lloyd declared. "Zane came in and commandeered it."

"Zane is home!" Pixal said excitedly, running off to the kitchen.

"Looks like you were right Nya," Jay said. "Zane had been out getting some groceries for a new recipe, but he won't say what it is."

"We were nearly finished anyway," Cole insisted. "all that's left to do is the dishes and the floor."

"And I'm sure Zane will do that once he's finished cooking." Lloyd predicted.

"Let's see… kitchen, bathroom, living room…" Nya quietly surmised before turning to Jay. "Are you finished in here?"

"Just gotta sweep and mop, then we're done" Jay replied.

"Wow, we're ahead of schedule," Nya said, her voice full of surprise. "okay, I guess we can break for now and then start setting up after training – sound good?"

"What about Zane?" Kai asked. "Should we ask if he needs some help?"

"I'll go find out," Jay offered. "I doubt it, but it couldn't hurt to ask."

Jay strolled over to the kitchen and poked his head in the door. Zane was showing Pixal what he'd bought from the store and telling her what his plans were for the festivities. Jay backed up a bit. He peered into the room and listened intently, hoping to overhear Zane's culinary intentions. Pixal giggled and then offered to help him with whatever it was he was doing. He graciously accepted her assistance before leaning over and exchanging a kiss with her.

"Jay," Nya suddenly hissed, scaring the daylights out of him. "what are you doing?"

"Nothing, I just-"

"It's rude to spy on people, you know?" She scolded.

"I wasn't spying, I just wanted to find out what he's making for later," Jay insisted. "but then they started kissing and-"

That piqued Nya's curiosity, and she also took a furtive glance. Jay was right, they were being incredibly affectionate with each other, and while it was certainly more than they displayed in public, it was nothing overtly saucy... until Zane put his hand under Pixal's t-shirt while he was kissing her, triggering more of her coquettish giggling.

"Oh my..." Nya mumbled, her face going very pink as she grabbed Jay's hand and dragged him away from the kitchen door.

"But I didn't get to find out what Zane is cooking for tonight." Jay argued.

"You'll find out later," Nya assured him as they re-entered the living room. "right now, you need to help Cole with the music."

"Yeah, c'mon, I need to build a new playlist for this party." Cole agreed, putting his arm around Jay's shoulder.

"Well, okay," Jay said. "you think we should put some electronic music on for Pixal?"

"Maybe we should, we'll go see what I've got." Cole mused as they walked away towards his room.

"You okay sis?" Kai asked. "You look a bit warm."

"Fine, fine," She announced. "just, you know, excited about the party..."


	7. Christmas Eve Party

**Merry Christmas reader!** Thank you for your continued patronage of my writing. Please find the following chapter - the second of two that I'm posting on the same day, as I may not be able to go online tomorrow. You know, spending quality time with family like.

* * *

Coloured lights flashed in time with the music, the bass was pumping, the drinks were flowing... and the ninja were officially in chill mode. Even Sensei Wu had joined in the revelry, for although he was an old master, he still had the moves of his younger self.

Cole took great delight in being the MC for their little in-house gig, turning out a number of festive and year-round songs to get his friends up and dancing. As such, only Zane remained absent – putting the finishing touches on his culinary masterpiece no doubt.

Nya had managed to get Pixal up for a dance once or twice, though she was more than a little reluctant to put herself out there. Jay and Kai, on the other hand, were not nearly as shy, throwing their all into what could only be described as a dance off, and Lloyd was enjoying the general ambience of the evening. After everything had happened that year, it was refreshing to be able to relax and have a bit of fun.

It wasn't too long before Zane made his appearance, having finished his Christmas confection and placed it in a glass cake dome to keep it protected until the time was right. He spotted Pixal immediately, and somehow managed to sneak up on her, despite the kitchen door being in her peripheral vision. He placed his hands over her eyes and she excitedly whirled around in her seat – she had become very familiar with those hands and would recognise them anywhere. Aside from which, his hands were the only ones besides hers which were metal.

The music seamlessly went from bouncy pop to EDM, as a notoriously energetic and humorous track began playing. Jay pumped his fists in the air almost victoriously; this was his jam. Zane held out his hand to Pixel, silently asking her to dance with him. Though she hesitated for a second, Pixal quickly accepted his offer, and they both got up to dance. Despite being hindered by her prevailing shyness, Zane's presence made her relaxed enough to cut loose a little.

Pixal soon relaxed into the joyous atmosphere, slowly moving a little more with each verse. She was really enjoying herself and gently waved her arms in time to the tempo of the song. Zane was impressed by how she was opening up to human activities, when it would be just as easy for her to withdraw.

Nya smiled as she made a surreptitious signal to Cole, a signal he otherwise might have missed if not for the fact that he'd been watching and waiting for it. After some snooping, Nya found out which song Zane had been using to teach Pixal to dance, and secretly arranged with Cole to acquire it for the party.

As the song currently playing was winding down, Cole switched to a pop and R&B song lined with muted, shuffling percussion and a syncopated, polyrhythm.

Pixal immediately recognised it from the opening score and looked to Zane for reassurance. He smiled at her with confidence, conveying utmost belief in her abilities. He led her into their opening stance, and as the music swelled from a heavy beat and melodic guitars to rich male vocals, she recalled everything he had taught her.

They stood face to face, taking basic salsa side-steps and loosely moving their arms to the rhythm. They mirrored each other's movements as they both reached out, so their right hands were touching. They gracefully danced in a circle until they had switched places. He drew close to her and rested his hands on her hips while she draped her arms around his neck. Then, as he smoothly whirled around, she cantered after him, returning to her previous habit of watching her footwork. Zane, with one hand still on her hip, lifted Pixal's left hand from his shoulder and gently kissed it. She looked up as he warmly smiled at her, silently encouraging her to focus on the music and just follow the beat.

And just as they had in her room at Borg Industries, Pixal's movements smoothed out and her footsteps effortlessly mirrored his – when he stepped forward, she stepped back, and when she stepped forward, he stepped back – their hips swayed to the feathery synths and dreamy guitar riffs as Zane occasionally twirled Pixal around, much to her delight.

The others could not believe what they were seeing. Droids did not have a natural understanding of music and dance, but Zane and Pixal were dancing as if they had been doing it their whole lives. The two broke away for a moment, as he lithely circled around her before taking her right hand in his. They side stepped a few more times, before they broke away again, and she gracefully danced around him. She took his left hand in hers and they side stepped again. He raised his arm and pulled her into a multiple spin, letting go of her hand when she was once again beside him. Pixal lifted her hands up behind her head and daintily swayed as Zane swept onto one knee and offered his hand. She accepted, and he smoothly rose to his feet.

Hand in hand once more, they both stepped back and forth with artistic flair, stretching out their arms and flowing into a cross body lead every time they pulled each other close again. They repeated the forward, two three step, backward two three step, as the world around them seemed to completely melt away into the flickering drums and atmospheric bridge. He wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her close, elegantly swaying with her. After a minute of enthusiastic, closed position samba dancing, he whirled her into another multiple spin and leaned her into a dip, slowly pulling her up in such a way that he was now behind her with his hand on her waist. She placed her hand on his cheek and looked at him with an all-consuming glance.

The song finished, and when the next song didn't immediately start, they looked up; slightly confused by the sudden quietness in an otherwise continuous stream of music. It was then that Zane and Pixal realised they had unintentionally acquired a captive audience.

After a few moments of stunned silence, there came an abrupt applause.

"Where did you guys learn to do that?" Kai spoke, the shock in his voice was clear as a bell.

"Oh... It is purely self-taught," Zane sheepishly chuckled as he and Pixal separated from her previously entangled position. "the internet is a more reliable source than people realise."

As Zane attempted to explain what his friends perceived to be a most astounding phenomenon, he couldn't help but notice Sensei Wu's unspoken approval. The old master crossed his arms and smiled as he nodded, clearly impressed with Zane's teaching abilities and Pixal's acquired sense of rhythm.

"Well, I must say that was a most impressive demonstration," Wu stated. "perhaps this would be a good time for a brief interval."

"Yes Sensei." Zane agreed.

As he went off to the kitchen, Nya collared Pixal, curious how she had learned to dance like that in such a short time.

"Zane is a very good teacher, he began to teach me back at Borg Industries," Pixal explained. "we had also all day yesterday to practice while everyone was away."

"So _that's_ what you guys were up to while we were all out." Nya said cheerfully.

"Yes of course," Pixal replied. "what else would Zane and I have been doing?"

"I knew you couldn't have been drafting designs the whole time," Nya admitted, pushing Jay's ridiculous theories to the back of her mind. "you're so intelligent, there's no way it would've taken that long to do."

"Thank you for the compliment." Pixal smiled.

Zane soon returned with his edible magnum opus. He placed the Christmas cake on a nearby table, the lights still flashing around the room, as his friends gathered around him. He wielded a cake knife and offered it to Lloyd to make a speech, and the first cut into the cake – as was the tradition.

Lloyd, however, pushed the knife back in Zane's direction, as if relinquishing his leader-like Christmas duties to the slightly confused droid.

"Oh... Well, thank you... As another year draws to a close, I feel like this has been a very special one," he began. "it has not been easy; we have faced new enemies, learned new skills, and become new people from those experiences."

"Here, here." Lloyd agreed.

"So, to my friends, to my teacher... to my love," Zane looked at each of them in turn, his gaze lingering upon Pixal for a moment longer than usual. "Merry Christmas, and may the coming year be good to us."

"Merry Christmas!" They all responded in unison.

And with that, Zane made the first cut into the delicious, spongy treat, much to the delight of his peers. He cut it into 8 equal pieces and invited his friends to enjoy the saccharine treat he had created, placing each slice onto individual plates.

"Right," Cole announced, returning to his DJ deck, cake in hand. "time for a little atmosphere."

He threw on a Christmas classic, something fun and upbeat for his friends to enjoy with their much-loved refreshment.

"Thank you for dancing with me," Zane said, reaching out to touch Pixal's arm. "I know it is not what you are accustomed to."

"Thank you for teaching me," Pixal replied happily. "I cannot imagine I was an easy student."

"You are a fast learner, and you really rose to the challenge." Zane smiled, offered a slice of cake to Pixal, but she politely declined.

Although they were both droids, she was not built for eating food the way Zane was.

"I am sorry," she spoke remorsefully. "it appears that my new body is like my old one – eating is not required for me to function."

"There is no need to apologise," he insisted. "if anyone should apologise it is me; I was not sure of your capabilities regarding this and should have asked first."

"I am fascinated by your ability to eat," Pixal remarked. "I often wonder what such things taste like."

After a moment of silence between them, the festive beats still blowing away in the background, he smiled at her sincerely.

"You cannot eat, that does not mean you cannot taste," Zane concluded, scooping a small amount of the sweet, whipped topping with his hand and offering it to her.

She paused for a moment, glancing first at the sliver of soft cream and then at Zane's genial smile. Without a second thought, Pixal licked the cream straight from the tip of his hand. Zane was stunned. Even as he watched her expression change from neutral to delighted, all he could take in was the residual tingling that her tongue left on him. It was very similar to something else of hers that he had experienced recently...

"That was wonderful!" She squeaked excitedly, licking her lips and gazing at him in awe. "No wonder the others look forward to this so much."

She was slightly confused by his suddenly unreadable expression. She stood before him, tilting her head inquisitively as her bright emerald eyes glittered. He was once again rendered helpless by her beauty – a subtle allure made all the more irresistible by the deeply curved neckline of her top.

He gently took her by the hand and led her out into the hallway. Away from the lights and the music and the eyesight of their peers.

"Zane? Is everything alright?" Pixal asked, her voice full of concern. "Was it something I said?"

He bit his lip, chills ran all over his body, and a familiar pulsation started creeping up on him. Unable to stop himself, he pulled her close and began kissing her. She immediately responded, sliding her arms around his neck and gently urging him closer. Her flirtatious giggling, whether intentional or not, slowly became more seductive and his breathing intensified with every enticing sound she made.

"I am crazy for you, Pixal," he breathed heavily. "You are such a powerful accelerant; I am consumed by the flames of my love for you."

"Oh Zane... our assignation yesterday unlocked a very salacious protocol," She purred. "I want very much to experience that sensation again."

"How I would love to have you as I did then; right here, right now," He growled. "but we need to return to the party before we are missed."

"If someone comes out to find me, I will feign delayed shyness." She agreed.

"I will go into the kitchen," He said, placing a swift kiss on her lips. "I need to put out the snacks for the rest of the evening."

Zane quickly dashed away. Pixal couldn't resist watching him until he was no longer in sight. He was so amazing, so special, and he made her feel like she was worth something beyond her robotic capabilities. By coincidence, Nya appeared in the hallway, having noticed Pixal's absence and decided to go investigate.

"There you are!" Nya said as she waved. "I was wondering where you'd got to; that was quite a show you and Zane put on."

"It was a lot of fun," Pixal smiled back. "but once the music started playing again I began to feel self-conscious."

"I'm sorry, playing that song was my idea," Nya confessed. "I didn't mean to cause any embarrassment, I just wanted you to have a good time."

"I _am_ having a good time," Pixal reassured her. "I am not used to attending such gatherings as a guest, that is all."

"Good evening ladies." Sensei Wu said as he approached them.

"Good evening Sensei," Nya replied as she and Pixal both gave a respectful bow. "tapping out already?"

"Try as I may, I cannot keep up with you young ones," Wu chuckled. "besides which, I have another errand to go on."

"But you just got back yesterday," Nya mentioned.

"A Master's work is never done," Wu dutifully said. "I'm sure I can trust you to be the voice of maturity."

"Yes Sensei."

Wu nodded at the two girls before grabbing his staff and heading out the door.

"Does he often leave you all unattended?" Pixal asked.

"Hey, we're all adults, we can look after ourselves," Nya reminded her companion. "in fact, when we first met you, we were working as teachers at Sensei Wu's school."

Their conversation was interrupted by a tremendous crash coming from the living room.

"But sometimes I still feel like I'm surrounded by children." Nya sighed with frustration.

They made their way into the living room to find out what happened. On the plus side, it was nothing too serious, given that the ninja were all laughing, and apart from the sparks and smoke coming from one of the speakers, there seemed to be no other destruction.

"Okay, okay, I was wrong," Jay laughed, having been knocked back by the self-inflicted explosion. "more electrical current doesn't mean more volume."

"I told you it wouldn't work, you may be the Master of Lightning but I'm the DJ for a reason," Cole smirked as he helped Jay to his feet. "c'mon you, I need help bringing in the one of the back-up speakers; Kai, you mind watching the decks for me?"

"Got it!" Kai excitedly ran to Cole's earmarked post at the centre of the music station.

Fortunately, the music hadn't stopped during this incident; Cole had the foresight of staying 3 songs ahead after Zane and Pixal's unexpected dance routine caught him off guard earlier.

"I leave the room for two minutes and this is what happens?" Nya scolded as she approached Lloyd.

"I'm as surprised as you are," he replied. "I didn't think Jay would actually do it."

"There does not appear to be any lasting damage, I have seen worse incidents at some of Mr Borg's parties," Pixal noted. "certain _restrictions_ were enforced after the Vice President's birthday the year before last."

"Now _that's_ a story I'd like to hear." Lloyd grinned.

"It is a story I would like to tell, but the details have been encrypted beyond my accessibility," Pixal mentioned calmly. "so far all I have managed to decipher is that a flying helmet and some wet celery were involved."

Jay and Cole hauled in the replacement speaker and within minutes had unplugged the old one and set up the new one. At which point Kai reluctantly gave up his spot, so Cole could continue the disc domination he had held thus far. As a thank you for his cooperation, Cole decided to play a song he knew was one of Kai's favourites; a lively K-pop track that prominently featured his element as the title.

Kai immediately recognised it and proceeded to dance like a ninja possessed. Even Jay was astounded by his mad dance skills.

Nya once again pulled Pixal onto the dance floor, this time with much less resistance – it appeared that letting loose with Zane earlier had made her less shy than she was at the start of the evening. Even though Pixal came across as self-conscious for the most part, something about the music was bringing her out of her shell.

As the music switched from male K-pop to female RnB, Nya and Pixal had taken to dancing side by side, having such a great time that they were almost feeding off each other's rhythm. Matching each other step for step, harmoniously swishing and swaying to the luscious EDM pulse.

Pixal had never had so much fun; this party was nothing like the diplomatic affairs held at Borg Tower, and it was certainly a change of pace for her to be enjoying herself at such a function. When the current song came to an end and the next one started, Nya put her hand on Pixal's shoulder and smiled widely at her, as if giving non-verbal approval.

Pixal bowed and walked away toward the kitchen, where Zane was setting out the last of the treats he had prepared for the occasion.

"Sounds like you are all having a good time in there, even with the equipment exploding." he smiled as she entered the room.

"Yes, the music is jumping, and I am impressed by how enjoyable parties can be," Pixal insisted, touching his arm gently. "but it is not as much fun without you."

He softly put his hand on her cheek, tilting his head and beaming at her. She nuzzled into his hand, glancing up at him – her eyes flush with infatuation.

"I am supposed to be the Master of ice, yet one look from you and I melt," He whispered flirtatiously. "why is that?"

"I do not know." She grinned, sheepishly looking away.

"Come on, let's get back to the party." Zane smiled as he led her into the living room.

Upon walking through the door, they were greeted by Lloyd, who accidentally bumped into them while dancing.

"Oops! Sorry, didn't see you there." He apologised.

"It is alright," Zane chuckled. "I have finished putting out the drinks and snacks in the kitchen, so please help yourselves."

"Cool, I'll let the others know." Lloyd smiled as he shuffled across the room to the beat and almost crashing into Kai, who was on his way over.

"Zane, Pixal." Kai nodded as he approached them.

"Hello Kai – are you having fun?" Zane asked.

"This is the best party we've ever had!" Kai laughed, holding up his drink. "You hit it out of the park with the cake, as usual."

"Thank you," Zane said with an appreciative smile. "there are more drinks and snacks in the kitchen."

"Cool," Kai grinned before turning his attention to Pixal. "hey Pix, come dance with me."

Unfamiliar with this shortened version of her name, she turned to Zane for guidance, to which he smiled and nodded, encouraging her to just go with it. Pixal turned to Kai with a smile and, excited by the dance pop song that was playing, eagerly followed him onto the dance floor.

Zane was happy to see her being so free spirited around them all, not just himself. She had been in his head – and as such, part of the team – for some time now, so her relaxed attitude, however slight it appeared to be, was certainly a long time coming.

"You gotta teach me some of those moves."

Zane turned to see Jay standing beside him, thoroughly enjoying some of the cinnamon roll ice cream that was a last-minute addition to the menu.

"Moves?"

"You know, on the dance floor with Pixal," Jay reminded. "I saw how she looked at you – I'd give anything for Nya to look at me like that."

"I am no dance teacher, but I can certainly show you the basics," Zane replied. "as a ninja you have good rhythm already, so it should not be difficult for you to learn."

"Thanks dude," Jay grinned. "think you could teach me before the New Year's Eve gala?"

"We can certainly give it a shot, you'd have to lay off the ice cream though." Zane chuckled.

"But this ice cream is the best!" Jay mentioned as he had another mouthful.

"I am glad you like it," Zane grinned. "it was a rather spur of the moment decision to make it, so I was not sure how it would turn out."

Jay enthusiastically nodded; this was even better than last year's candy cane sorbet. Zane opted to leave Jay to his dessert and made his way over to have a dance, somehow finding himself locked in a musical duel with Lloyd, as they showed off their respective moves to a rap rock fusion track.

Everyone was dancing and enjoying themselves, the snacks and drinks went down a treat, and rather fortunately, the ninja had no immediate neighbours that might have been bothered by their raucous fun.

It was, as Kai had said, the best party they'd ever had.


	8. Christmas Day Shenanigans

Hello reader. Hope you had a nice Christmas, I did :) we will now return to our usual updates. Enjoy!

* * *

Zane once again woke up to an agonizing headache, like a painful Deja vu.

He stared up at the ceiling for a moment as he recalled what had happened the last time he woke up with a headache.

Once again, his internal vision began steaming up with erotic images.

Pixal deliberately draping her leg over his hip and purring sensually in his ear; the high-pitched moan she made as he sank his teeth into her shoulder; her entrance being so deliciously moist that he slid right inside her; how they writhed together in pure ecstasy...

He sat up and held his head. They would definitely need to upgrade some of the circuitry there – he couldn't be dealing with this sort of pain every time he and Pixal indulged each other in this manner.

But when he looked to his left, he discovered he was alone. Perhaps the imagery in his mind was just that – nothing more than an erotic dream. He flopped onto his back and put his hand over his face. If it was just a dream, then _damn..._ what a dream it was.

Suddenly there was an enthusiastic knocking on his door and he soon heard Jay's voice from the other side.

"C'mon sleepy droid, get up already!" Jay sang excitedly. "You're missing all the fun!"

"I will be right there!" Zane replied as he got out of bed and started getting dressed.

Christmas Day was usually a relaxing day of fun in the snow, followed by hot chocolate and chilling by the fireplace; a nice, wholesome contrast to their rowdy Christmas Eve party.

Zane, however, was still reeling from his incredibly vivid dream and wondered if it had actually happened or not. It was so strikingly realistic that he couldn't be sure – more so because he didn't think his mind was imaginative enough to conjure such erotic images without real life inspiration.

Being the Master of ice, and a nindroid, he did not feel the cold as others did, and as such gave little thought to whether he was wearing enough layers.

 _My silver gi and hakama will be sufficient enough._ He thought as he turned to open the door.

Taking a cursory glance around his room, his eyes were drawn to the haori jacket that Pixal had been wearing not even two days ago. She has given it back to him after she had gotten dressed, following their… physical compatibility test, and he'd left it draped over a chair. He moved towards it, gently lifting it in his hands as the memories of their exquisite rendezvous flooded to the front of his mind. With a warm smile, he put the jacket on and left his room.

As he approached the back door and stepped outside, he was greeted by the abundant laughter of his friends as they frolicked in the snow, throwing snowballs and building snowmen. He noted that the snow was a lot deeper than usual, and even now the snowflakes were still lightly falling.

"Zane!"

Pixal ran over to him excitedly.

"You must see the sculpture that Nya has been helping me build!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to where she and Nya had been making things out of snow, one such thing being Zane's dragon, Shard.

"It looks just like him," Zane smiled. "this must have taken some time to make."

"Pixal was determined to have it finished before you got up." Nya grinned at him.

"I am sorry to have kept you waiting." Zane apologised, putting his arm around Pixal comfortingly.

"You look so peaceful when you are sleeping," Pixal humbly mentioned. "I did not want to wake you."

Before he had a chance to speak, Zane detected an incoming snowball and cleverly guarded Pixal from the round projectile. In one swift motion, he pulled her close and shielded her with his body. As the snowball hit his shoulder, his finely tuned robotic mind calculated where the snowball had come from, and Jay – who threw the ill-fated ball – found himself the target of Zane's retaliation. Shuffling Pixal behind him, Zane stretched out his arms and held out his hands. Using his ice powers, his open palms summoned a score of snowballs from the snow beneath his feet; a devilish smirk appeared on his face.

"Jay, you might wanna run!" Kai yelled out.

Taking the wise advice, Jay promptly bolted as Zane chased after him. It was an interesting, if slightly one-sided, battle as Zane used his elemental advantage to defend the honour of his lady; Pixal was not Jay's intended target, but his misfire made it seem that way – if not for Zane's swift reflexes, Jay would be in it even deeper than he already was. The others watched with amusement as Zane stalked Jay like a wild animal, bombarding him with snowballs and conjuring more from their icy surroundings when his first round had run out. Jay didn't go down without a fight however, and while he landed more than a few snowballs on Zane, it was like apples and oranges – there was just no comparison.

"Okay, okay!" Jay said as he sat unarmed at the base of a tree. "I surrender!"

"You put up a good fight," Zane replied, offering Jay his hand in a show of good faith. "but may I suggest you work on your aim?"

"Of course," Jay smiled as Zane helped him up. "by the way, nice to see you finally join us."

"I know it is not usual for me to sleep in so late," Zane admitted. "but sometimes a dream is too good to leave."

"I know that feeling..." Jay agreed, making a subtle glance in Nya's direction.

Suddenly Jay was hit by yet another snowball. He turned around to see Cole heartily laughing, and immediately he began making some snowballs to throw back. Zane chuckled as Jay went chasing after Cole, brandishing an armful of snowballs.

Zane calmly strolled around in the soft, whiteness. The blanket of snow reminded him of how he discovered his origins, as his father's home was hidden in the middle of a snow forest. It was there he learned the truth of his existence, where he reached his true potential; where Pixal discovered another power source along with his blueprints. One day he would go back there – it was, after all, the place he felt closest to his father, especially after his dad passed away for a second time. For now, though, he was enjoying his surroundings – the chunky snowflakes falling all around him, the way the snow made a crunch sound under his feet, and the peaceful feeling of being enveloped by the element he controlled.

He eventually found himself back at the snow dragon that Pixal and Nya had built, only the ladies were no longer there. He ventured into the Temple and discovered a most delicious smell. Following the wonderful aroma led him to the kitchen, where a pan of freshly made hot chocolate was simmering on the stove.

"I was just about to call everyone in," Nya smiled. "I hope that's okay, I know you weren't out in the snow very long..."

"There's plenty of time for me to enjoy the snow," Zane said. "the low temperature does not affect me the way it does them."

"True," She agreed. "and they've been out there for 2 hours, at least – one of them must be getting cold by now."

Nya walked away towards the back door as Pixal started ladling the cocoa drinks into mugs. Zane approached her from behind, wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned his head on her shoulder. Pixal couldn't help but giggle at this; she loved the subtle affections he gave her.

"Thank you." She said to him.

"What for?" He asked.

"For protecting me," She replied, looking him in the eye. "I know it was just a snowball, but I appreciate the sentiment."

Zane waited for her to put down the ladle she held, before he spun her round in his arms and hugged her to him firmly.

"I would give my life for you, Pixal." He spoke seriously.

After everything that happened to them, she could well believe it. She returned his enthusiastic embrace, gripping onto him as hard as she could. No one had ever made her feel so loved, so wanted, so treasured... though Mr Borg often treated her like his own daughter, it was clearly a different kind of love from what she felt for Zane.

As she opened her eyes and looked to her left, it was apparent they once again had an audience.

"Hello," She said as Zane slowly pulled away from her. "please help yourselves to some hot chocolate."

"Thanks Pix," Kai grinned, playfully nudging Zane as he walked past. "do we have any marshmallows?"

"Kai, we were the ones who went grocery shopping, remember?" Lloyd chuckled.

"Yeah, but that was two days ago!" Kai sighed. "Even if I remember getting marshmallows it doesn't mean they're still here."

"Yes, we have marshmallows!" Cole groaned, walking over to the cupboard, pulling out a giant bag of soft, squishy mallows and throwing them at Kai's head.

Cole picked up a cup of cocoa and walked toward the living room, shaking his head.

"And that's how you know Cole's been out in the cold too long." Jay laughed as he too chose a hot drink and walked away.

"I forgot how grumpy he could get in this weather." Nya mentioned, raising her eyebrow.

"C'mon, let's go relax for a while." Lloyd suggested.

As all but Pixal had picked up a mug of hot chocolate, they headed into the living room, where the fire was already roaring, and the light projector was still shining strong on the tree. It was a most relaxing scene, as the whole team sat quietly, enjoying the comforts of being warm and cosy on such a cold day.

Pixal could not resist leaning against Zane and rubbing her face on his arm, something that did not go unnoticed; Kai, who sat on the other side of Zane, roughly jabbed him in the ribs and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Zane's face became hot and he looked away.

In doing so, he had inadvertently caught Nya's attention, who made silent hand signals at him. Zane had no idea what Nya was getting at, until she briefly put down her drink and touched her left shoulder with her right hand then gestured to the left with her head. Zane then put his arm around Pixal and squeezed her shoulder. Pixal shuffled closer and snuggled into him.

"So… have you guys done it yet or what?" Cole loudly asked.

All of Cole's teammates slowly turned and looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and embarrassment on their faces.

"What?" He said, totally unfazed by the shocked response.

"Cole!" Nya reprimanded. "You can't just ask questions like that!"

"But you're all thinking it!" Cole insisted, pointing at them accusingly.

"That doesn't mean you should just ask out loud!" Lloyd scolded, as he slapped a hand to his own forehead.

"I do not understand this expression 'done it'," Pixal stated. "what exactly is he asking?"

At that point, everyone froze. Pixal didn't know what Cole meant, but was anyone going to step up and explain to her what his meaning was? Soon, all eyes were on Zane, whose face was getting hotter with every passing second. Pixal looked up at him innocently, her eyes now asking the same question that Cole had asked.

"Pixal, do you remember what happened two days ago?" Zane asked her, his face still hot as a wildfire.

"When we were drafting circuits?"

"No, before that."

"When you were teaching me to dance?"

"No, even before that," Zane said nervously. "when you first went into my room."

"Ohhh," She mused innocently. "do you mean when we connected?"

Suddenly, the snickering began. Jay was tittering away, trying so hard not to be obvious with his amusement as Nya slapped his arm. However, Jay's giggling was infectious, as Kai, Lloyd, Nya and even Cole succumbed to the corrupting laughter.

"I did not know that our bonding experience was meant to be amusing." Pixal mentioned, feeling a little confused.

"Please understand Pixal, it is only amusing to my teammates because they have not experienced it themselves." Zane explained to the best of his ability.

"Does this mean our sexual encounter is the first among your peers?" She wondered as she tilted her head.

"It seems that way." Zane said calmly, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.

And just like that, the laughter came to a halt, only to be replaced with big smiles and not-so-subtle gasps of excitement. Nya immediately shuffled over to Pixal and held her hand, bearing a thrilled expression.

"So, it's true!?" Nya asked excitedly.

"Yes, Zane and I have been intimate." Pixal confirmed.

Nya let go of Pixal's hand and did a little victory dance, before pointing at Zane with a smirk on her face.

"Then you didn't just _talk_ with her the other day, did you?" Nya grinned wickedly.

"Technically speaking... No..." He admitted, sheepishly looking away.

"Dude, I can't believe you kept this a secret!" Kai said, slapping Zane's shoulder.

"I'm telling ya, it's always the quiet ones," Jay insinuated as he prodded Lloyd with his elbow. "how long were you gonna hide this from us?"

"He wouldn't have been able to keep this kind of secret for long," Cole smugly interrupted. "it would only be a matter of time before one of us caught them doing something..."

"Cole, you have a filthy mind." Lloyd deduced, giving Cole a playful shove.

"I guess this means you'll be sharing a room together," Nya mentioned with a sigh. "I really liked having a roommate too."

"We will need Sensei Wu's permission first, and Pixal is not a ninja," Zane corrected. "even though she has many talents which can be useful, Wu may not allow her to stay at the temple long-term."

"No offense, but what good will you be to the team if he separates you two?" Nya pointed out.

"Dying of a broken heart is a thing, my friend." Kai explained.

"At the very least you're looking at severe separation anxiety." Lloyd said, with Jay nodding in agreement.

Zane and Pixal looked at each other. They'd had this discussion before, back at Borg Industries when she was rebuilding his body. Back then, Zane seemed so sure that there wouldn't be any problem – the skills that Pixal could contribute to the team would ensure she would be able to stay – but the doubt was setting in now. They did not want to be separated, and if there was a chance of that actually happening, then there was only one option. It was not an ideal solution, but at least they would still be together.

"Perhaps... Perhaps it would be for the best..." Pixal whimpered sadly as her hands reached up to the back of her head.

"No..." Zane said, grabbing her hands and holding them to his chest; his voice full of determination. "We must not relinquish all hope, there is always a chance he will say yes."

"You could always get married." Jay suggested.

Another wave of silence spread over them. This particular silence was not as tense as the last one, but there was still a heavy feeling in the room. Jay looked at his friends, who were all having mixed reactions to his unusual solution.

"Marriage is a human tradition, it does not apply to droids," Pixal sadly noted.

She stood up, bowed to all in the room and then swiftly, silently, walked out. Nya hit Jay with a cushion, so hard that he actually cried out in pain. Zane went to get up and chase after her, only to be stopped by Kai.

"Give her some space," Kai recommended. "she probably just needs some time to think."

"I cannot just leave her like that." Zane insisted, breaking free of Kai's grip on his arm and heading off in the direction he saw her go.

"Unfortunately, Pixal is right," Nya said. "they're the first of their kind – the only significantly advanced droids in existence to even understand the complexities of love – so a legitimate droid union won't be on the cards for society for a _while.._."

"Even if droids could get married, it's a big step for anyone." Lloyd stated.

"I'm not saying they _can't_ get married, I'm just saying that it might not be recognised as being legal." Nya explained.

"Regardless, it wouldn't have any bearing on Sensei's decision." Lloyd responded with certainty.

"That's what you think," Jay argued. "you see it all the time on TV, and most of that is based on real life."

"It's hardly a great reason to get married though, is it?" Cole mentioned.

"I should go and apologise," Jay sighed defeatedly. "it was only a suggestion, but I feel like maybe I crossed a line."

"Not to mention bringing the mood down." Kai snarked as Jay followed in Zane's footsteps.

"On second thoughts, a wedding could be fun," Nya commented, offering an alternate viewpoint. "after all, it's not like any of _you_ are gonna get married anytime soon."

"I thought you said it wouldn't be a legitimate marriage," Kai pointed out. "and if that's the case, what's the point?"

"The _point_ is that it clearly means a lot to Zane and Pixal, judging by their reactions they know that the usual rules won't apply to them because they aren't human," Lloyd interrupted as he started to understand Nya's logic. "let's be honest, who cares what society thinks as long as it's legit to them, and to us?"

"Aren't we getting ahead of ourselves? Isn't this all kind of sudden?" Cole asked. "They've only been going steady for like 5 days!"

"Who was it that said they've been together this whole time?" Lloyd pointedly mentioned, repeating what Cole had said a couple days earlier. "We don't know what their relationship was before all this happened – I mean, it sounds like even when he was being rebuilt in Borg Industries that things were getting serious between them; he told us all about it once his memory had fully returned."

"Do you think this was his plan all along?" Kai wondered.

"What do you mean?" Lloyd answered with another question.

"You said it yourself, we don't know the depth of their connection – not back then and certainly not now – is it possible that all that time together made him realise that he wanted to marry her, that he wants to show his devotion, and that's why he asked Mr Borg to rebuild her?"

No one was sure what to say exactly, but Kai was making a lot of sense.

"Right, that's it," Nya stood up with a fierce determination burning in her eyes. "we're going to plan a wedding!"

* * *

Having scoured the whole temple and found nothing, Jay eventually went outside into the snow and that's where he found Zane.

Surrounded by his element, Zane sat by the large dragon ice sculpture that Nya and Pixal had built and heaved a weighty sigh. He didn't care what Ninjago thought of him, or his love for Pixal, all that mattered was what they felt for each other. Marriage was considered a major life change for humans, but what, if anything, did it mean for droids? Given that they were the first droids with AI complex enough to handle the abstract concept of love, there were no previous studies or precedent to fall back on.

Regardless, he did not want to marry her just for the sake of making them inseparable – they were already inseparable without the formality of wedlock – he did, however, want to spend the rest of his life with her. They were real, their love was real, that was all he needed people to see. If getting married was how humans demonstrated their lifelong commitment to each other, who was to argue with two droids wanting to do the same?

He sat in the snow a little longer, thoroughly enjoying the chill of winter, when he suddenly became aware that he was not alone. He looked over his shoulder and saw Jay standing there with a guilty expression.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have talked so loosely about something so personal," Jay said. "I gotta learn to keep my mouth shut."

"Do not apologise," Zane insisted with a sigh. "you were only voicing your opinion."

"I just know how much you and Pixal want to stay together, and it seemed like a good idea," Jay admitted as he sat beside him. "but I guess the real question is, do you want to marry her?"

"Of course I do; I want to be with her forever," Zane stated. "not so we can stay together here, not to prove that our relationship is real, but because I love her."

"Maybe you should tell her that." Jay mentioned.

"I will when I find her." Zane sighed.

"You mean, she's not out here with you?"

Zane shook his head.

"When she left the room, I could not tell which way she had gone, but a scan of the temple revealed nothing," He said sadly. "I can only assume she came out here, so I decided to wait for her to come back."

"You should probably call Cyrus Borg too." Jay casually mentioned.

"What? Oh, yes, of course," Zane agreed. "that is the tradition after all, to get the blessing of her father."

"But, there's nothing that says you have to go along with human traditions," Jay countered. "you could create your _own_ traditions."

"Besides which, I think I already have it."

"Eh? What do you mean?" Jay queried.

"When we were rebuilding Pixal's body, he referred to her as his daughter and I told him how heart-warming that was," Zane reminisced on the conversation he had with Cyrus. "then he turned to me and said, 'perhaps one day you will be my son-in-law'."

"It's just like a movie!" Jay squealed excitedly.

"Even so, I should probably run the idea by him," Zane said. "but I need to find Pixal first…"

"Zane…"

They looked up to see a bashful Pixal standing in front of them. Zane leapt to his feet and pulled her into a warm hug. Jay, sensing he was surplus at this point, got up and walked back into the temple.

"Pixal, where did you go?" He fretted, pulling away to look her over. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, no, I'm fine," She replied. "I just needed some air, some space to sort through my own thoughts."

"You do not need to explain anything to me, I am just glad you're back." He grinned.

"It's funny though, that we did not previously consider it as an option," She said, modestly glancing at her feet. "you know, getting married."

"You and I, we're not human, we do not think the way they do," He held her hands and smiled. "but it says a lot about them that they see our relationship and imagine it progressing to the stage that theirs often do."

"So… What do you think?" She asked.

"I think that I do not want to marry you as a means to an end, or for the sake of someone else, or to prove anything to the world at large," He spoke seriously. "I think that if we are to get married, it should be because it is something we both want to do, because we love each other and want to be together."

"Agreed." She smiled warmly at him and chuckled.

"This is awkward," He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I do not have a ring, or any other shiny object with which to pledge my love for you."

"Actually you do, but you have already given it to me." She softly spoke, tapping on her chest.

"Then all that's left to do is ask," Zane dropped onto one knee and smiled up at her. "Pixal, will you marry me?"

"Yes." She responded, tears forming in her eyes.

Suddenly there was a round of applause and a few elated whistles. Zane and Pixal turned to see the other ninja, cheering and clapping for the two of them. They approached their enthusiastic audience and joined them for a big group hug.

"Come on Pixal, we need to call your dad!" Nya excitedly said, grabbing the droid's hand and practically dragging her into the temple.

"Congrats bro!" Kai grinned.

"Thank you," Zane smiled back. "I'm very excited."

"We still gotta tell Sensei Wu what's happening, how are you gonna react if he says Pixal can't stay here?" Lloyd asked.

"If we have to part ways for now, then so be it, our relationship will have to be long distance," Zane answered calmly. "but we aren't doing this to be able to stay together, we are doing this because we love each other."

"Wow, talk about a change of heart," Kai chuckled. "not 20 minutes ago you and Pixal were in a panic at the idea of being separated, now you seem so much more accepting of it."

"Perhaps now we realise that nothing can truly separate us; we share a heart, she rebuilt me, and I rebuilt her," Zane attempted to explain. "maybe a brief panic is what we needed to finally see that."

"Oh the cuteness!" Jay howled, leaning on Cole as he started sobbing with happiness.

"Alright, alright," Cole rolled his eyes. "get a hold of yourself, you're making my shirt wet!"


	9. Boxing Day Activities

Hello reader. Thank you for your continued support. Please find the glossary for this chapter.

Fuyu no Odori - literally translated, it means "the dance (odori) of (no) winter (fuyu)", but Japanese grammatical positioning means that winter comes first in the sentence, whereas in English, winter comes at the end of the sentence.

Dogeza - bowing position of extreme deference, used when asking for a favour or for forgiveness.

* * *

" _This is wonderful news!"_ Mr Borg cheered over the video chat that Nya had set up. _"Congratulations my dear!"_

"Thank you," Pixal smiled.

" _Does Sensei Wu know yet? Have you set a date?"_ He keenly asked.

"Wu is still away on an errand, we intend on telling him as soon as he gets back." Pixal mentioned.

"Also Zane literally proposed like, 2 minutes ago, so the first thing we did was call you," Nya added. "it was all kinda sudden."

" _Yes indeed,"_ He chuckled. _"of course if you need any help with anything, just let me know."_

"Thanks Mr B," Nya grinned. "we may have to take you up on that – I've organised parties before, but I'd be out of my depth organizing a wedding!"

" _Fortunately for you, Nya, my dear Pixal is a master at planning celebrations."_ Mr Borg said.

"It was one of my secondary functions," She elaborated. "however, I have never planned a wedding before, so additional research will be necessary."

" _I hope you will still be able to come to the New Year's party,"_ Mr Borg said hopefully. _"I know you will be busy now, but if you can still come I would love to see you all there."_

"Yes of course," Pixal nodded. "everyone is so excited, it would be rude not to attend."

" _Marvellous!"_ He beamed, clapping his hands happily. _"In that case, I have a favour to ask – a couple of my dancers had to back out at the last minute, would you two be willing to take their place for the fuyu no odori?"_

Pixal jostled around excitedly as she turned to look at Nya, who in turn looked a little unsure.

"I'm not really a dancer…" Nya admitted.

"I can teach you the routine, and as a ninja you will pick it up quickly." Pixal insisted.

"Well… okay," Nya smiled, turning to the video chat where Mr Borg was waiting for an answer. "you've got yourself some dancers."

" _Thank you,"_ He grinned. _"you're really helping me out here."_

"Hey Pixal, do you wanna go get Zane? I'm sure he'd like to speak to Mr Borg as well." Nya suggested.

"Good idea." She answered as he got up and left the room to find him.

"I know this must seem really sudden, but they're doing it for the right reasons, honestly," Nya said confidently. "they just wanna be together."

" _I am well aware of the strength of their connection,"_ He calmly replied. _"to be honest, I was expecting – well, hoping actually – that something like this would happen."_

"Really?" Nya's voice softened.

" _I know I call her my assistant around the employees, but to me, she is my daughter,"_ Mr Borg's expression melted into a paternal smile. _"isn't this what any father wants? To know that his daughter is with someone who loves them and can take care of them?"_

"I guess so." She grinned.

" _They've been through so much together, if they were human, marriage would be the natural progression for their relationship,"_ He declared. " _even though they're droids and_ _there is no expectation for them to marry, they still want to – it's really quite moving."_

"Aww, that's a really sweet way to look at it." Nya put her hand on her cheek.

" _What about you and Jay?"_ He wondered. _"I'm surprised you two haven't gotten serious."_

"O-oh, um, we aren't… I mean… we're not, um." Nya's face went red with embarrassment.

" _Please forgive me, I'm thinking out loud again."_ He apologised, instantly backpedalling when he saw how flustered she was by his suggestion.

"No, it's okay, I just hadn't thought about it is all," She looked away awkwardly as Zane and Pixal came into the room. "well, Zane's here, so I'll say goodbye now."

" _Goodbye Nya."_

"See you later Mr Borg." She waved at the screen before leaving the room.

Nya paused in the doorway, glancing over at Zane as he addressed Mr Borg on the video chat with Pixal standing proudly next to him. It was nice that Mr Borg approved so wholeheartedly of the relationship between them, it would've made things very difficult for them if he didn't. Nya thought about Dr Julien – Zane's dad – and wondered if he too would have been so supportive. From the brief amount of time the ninja had spent with him, Nya felt she could safely say that yes, he would definitely have approved.

She strolled back into the living area, only to find it empty. She followed the sound of voices and found the other ninja once again playing outside in the snow; no doubt warmed by the emotive situation of the past 20 minutes. Nya opted to simply watch them for now, as she made a mental list of things that needed to be organised for the wedding. They were all approaching an age when some people did start to settle down – not that there was anything settled about the life of a ninja – and it could be argued that Zane and Pixal had been settled for some time already.

The blush on her face deepened as she watched Jay running around outside with the others. He was such a sweetheart, even if he didn't always know when to be serious, but she was attracted to that light-hearted, fun-loving personality of his. She appreciated a good sense of humour.

Suddenly, they all stopped running around and faced the same direction, bowing politely. Though confused at first, Nya soon saw Sensei Wu approaching them. The old master exchanged a few words with Kai – too far away for Nya to hear what they were saying but close enough to get the gist of their brief conversation. She too bowed as Wu came over, clunking his staff against the doorframe to remove the excess snow from it and smiling widely at her.

"Did I miss anything?" He asked, almost optimistically.

"Yes, but nothing we can't fill you in on." She smiled.

Zane came out of the ops room hand-in-hand with Pixal, when he noticed the presence of his sensei. Pixal bowed politely, but Zane immediately dropped into the dogeza bow as he had in Mr Borg's office a couple weeks ago. Wu was slightly confused – as far as he knew, his student had nothing to apologise for, so he assumed that Zane was about to make a request of him.

"Please, Sensei," Zane said humbly, his forehead touching the floor. "please grant me a favour."

Clearly there was more to this request than first met the eye. As Wu looked over at Pixal – her eyes full of uncertainty and half-hearted hope – he soon figured out what this was about. Wu was not an old master for nothing; he was not a fool in affairs of the heart, and he certainly was not oblivious to the close bond between Zane and Pixal that likely triggered this event. Regardless, he allowed Zane to speak further.

"Pixal and I cannot bear to be apart; we have decided to get married," Zane spoke as he looked up. "please, will you let her stay here with me?"

Wu paused, stroking his beard as he considered his student's passionate request.

"I am not in the habit of answering a question with another question, but in this case I must," Wu stated. "from where did you get the idea that the two of you would be parted?"

Zane sat up from his submissive bow and shot a confused glance at Wu.

"Pixal is not a ninja, and even with all her valuable skills, I know she may not be able to stay here," He explained. "we are prepared for the possibility of separation, but if staying together is a viable option, we would prefer it."

"Stand up, my son." Wu firmly said.

Zane did as he was told and stood up to face his sensei eye to eye. Wu placed his hand on the nindroid's shoulder and smiled.

"I could no sooner part you and Pixal than I could part the stars from the night sky." Wu explained as he gestured for Pixal to come over to where he and Zane were standing.

She nervously complied, and walked over to Zane and his aged Spinjitzu teacher.

"The two of you share a unique bond, you share a heart, and until recently you shared a body – in that respect, she has been here the whole time," Wu turned to Pixal and gave her a kindly smile. "Pixal, you belong here, and you are free to stay here as long as you wish."

"Thank you." She grinned, bowing to him again.

Sensei Wu paused as something dawned on him.

"Did you say you were getting married?" He asked, looking at Zane pointedly.

"Yes, sensei," Zane also bowed. "I hope this is not a problem."

"Problem? Nonsense; I do believe congratulations are in order!" Wu beamed warmly.

* * *

The next day, things at the temple had all but settled down. Well, for the most part anyway. In between the usual routine of chores and training, the ninja busied themselves in other ways; Zane was attempting to teach Jay some of his moves from the Christmas Eve party, Lloyd and Kai were in the midst of arranging appropriate transportation to the gala – as Jay so distinctly put it; "you can't rock up to the biggest event of the year on a dragon!" – and Cole was helping Pixal find Nya, who thus far had been notoriously hard to pin down.

"We've looked everywhere except the communications room," Cole mentioned. "she's gotta be there."

"I hope so," Pixal replied. "I need to teach her the _fuyu no odori_."

"The _what_ -now?" He asked, not entirely paying attention.

"The _fuyu no odori_ – it is a winter dance performed at the gala," She explained. "Mr Borg asked if we could cover for a couple of dancers who backed out at the last minute."

As they made their way to the comms room, the gears continued ticking over in Cole's head; he was thoroughly confused. Despite the fact that the whole team had – at one point or another – referred to Cyrus Borg as Pixal's dad, Pixal herself seemed stuck in formality mode; still calling him 'Mr Borg' despite no longer working for him.

"Is there a reason why you don't call Mr Borg your dad when other people do?" He wondered.

"It is part of my programming to use formal address," She confirmed. "while Mr Borg has told me that he considers me his daughter, he has not given me permission to call him my father."

"But… he calls you his daughter, doesn't that mean he _wants_ you to call him your dad?"

"Implied consent is not the same as actual consent." She insisted as he shook his head.

"I'm so confused," Cole sighed. "but, while we're on the subject, I gotta ask – this whole getting married thing, are you sure it's what you want?"

"Of course," Pixal stopped in her tracks and tilted her head at him. "why do you ask?"

"It just seems kinda sudden is all," He answered, backtracking slightly as her saddened eyes pierced into him. "don't get me wrong, I'm happy for you and Zane, but as his friend and yours I wanna make sure you're both doing the right thing."

"Your devotion to Zane is admirable, as is your acceptance of me." She smiled widely at him.

"Yeah, well, you do right by your fellow ninja," He humbly shrugged. "it's part of being a team."

They soon came upon the communications room, where Nya was currently having a video call with someone. It took a few moments, but as soon as Nya realised she was no longer alone, she hurriedly ended the video call and approached them warmly.

"Hi guys," Nya said somewhat nervously. "you need something?"

"We've been looking for you everywhere," Cole explained. "Pixal needs to teach you the winter dance."

"With your ninja abilities you will pick up the moves quickly, but even so, we have less than a week before the gala." Pixal nodded.

"Of course, we need to start practicing." Nya agreed.

"Well, I'll leave you ladies to it," Cole said, excusing himself. "have fun!"

"So, have you danced before?" Pixal asked.

"A little."

"Don't worry, it is easy enough," She assured. "the moves are largely simple, and repeat in a circular pattern."

"In that case we'll go to my room to practice," Nya suggested. "after all, it feels so empty since you moved."

As the two of them made their way to Nya's room on the second floor of the temple, Pixal was reminded of what happened after Sensei Wu came home and learned of Zane's intention to marry her. In recognition of their engagement, Wu gave his permission for her to move into Zane's room, provided of course that such an arrangement did not interfere with his training. Nya was rather sad to be losing her roommate, but was ecstatic for this progression in Zane and Pixal's domestic arrangement.

"Thank you for sharing your room with me, I feel like I owe many of the recent developments to your advice," Pixal smiled. "but even so, I was surprised that Wu would allow Zane and I to cohabit."

"Make no mistake, if it were anyone else on the team, Sensei would not have been so accommodating," Nya spoke with great certainty. "but Zane is the most sensible and level-headed ninja, Wu trusts him – and you – to treat his decision with maturity; and given that last night was as quiet as any other, I'd say his trust was warranted."

Pixal felt her facial circuits heating up at Nya's subtle insinuations.

"So have you decided on a date yet?" Nya asked as they reached her room.

"Date?"

"You know, for the wedding?"

Upon the out loud mentioning of her betrothal to Zane, Pixal stumbled, then lost her balance and fell over. Nya stifled a giggle and helped her friend to her feet.

"Uh, no, we have not discussed it yet," Pixal admitted. "we haven't discussed much in the way of detail."

"So what happened last night then?" Nya queried.

Pixal drifted off slightly, as she recalled the events of the previous evening between Zane and herself.

 _ **Last Night…**_

" _Are you sure this is alright?" Pixal asked._

" _I should think so, it was Sensei Wu's idea after all." Zane chuckled._

" _This is exciting," She smiled. "it is just like when you were sharing my room back at Borg Industries."_

" _Yes, it is," He agreed. "though I must apologise, my room is not nearly as glamorous as yours was."_

" _Glamorous? Perhaps, but it was also lonely," She walked over to his bed and sat down. "I much prefer your room."_

" _Well, I promise you will not be lonely here, even when I am out training," He grinned as he sat down next to her. "in fact, Sensei Wu has offered to train_ you _too."_

" _Me?" She tilted her head, surprised by this development. "But, would it not be a waste of the Master's time? I am nowhere near your skill level, surely I could be of better use elsewhere."_

" _Pixal, this is important," Zane spoke, his voice completely overcome with seriousness. "I failed to protect you on Chen's island, even the fighting move-set we transferred to your database did not kick in as expected."_

 _He paused and looked down at his hands – hands which could not prevent his beloved from suffering at the sinister whims of that maniac Clouse. He was still deeply ashamed of his inability to keep Pixal safe, despite what Cyrus Borg had repeatedly told him. She could sense his unease and reached over to touch his arm. Quick as a whip, he took her hands in his and looked her straight in the eye._

" _Please, Pixal, let Sensei Wu teach you how to fight," He pleaded, his icy blue eyes shining with concern. "if I cannot protect you, the least I can do is make sure you can protect yourself."_

" _Okay, Zane, I will train with your sensei." Pixal sweetly smiled._

" _Thank you." He contentedly answered, letting go of a breath he didn't know he was holding._

 _She shuffled closer and slowly put her arms around him, leaning her head on his shoulder. He watched her as she closed her eyes, and softly grinned at her. They sat silently, leaning against each other and embracing the moment of peace. She placed her hand on his chest, and from a speaker, hidden beneath her hair and somewhere about her temples, came the familiar reverberating murmur of their shared power source._

" _Do you hear that?" She whispered. "Our cores; they are beating to the same rhythm."_

" _I am not surprised, our original bodies also worked as one even though they were so different," He whispered back. "it is reason enough for me to believe that our meeting was preordained; that we are meant to be together."_

" _Do you really think that a mysterious, external force decided we would meet, long before we actually did?" She asked, peering up at him with her glittering green eyes._

" _Many things have been foretold; the Great Devourer, the Green Ninja, the fight against the Overlord – all large, possibly world-altering events – it is not hard to imagine that we too were destined to happen." He explained, putting his arm around her._

* * *

"Pixal, hello?" Nya waved her hand in front of the droid's hazy face.

"I'm sorry," Pixal replied, shaking herself back into reality. "I must have drifted off there for a moment."

"No kidding, you drifted off – all I did was ask what happened last night," Nya chuckled. "now I'm not sure I want to know!"

"We were talking about destiny, Zane and I," Pixal mentioned. "and how he wants me to learn from Sensei Wu."

"Yeah… he wanted you to have your own body, but he was pretty worried about you being able to defend yourself." Nya admitted.

"I understand why he was so concerned," Pixal agreed as she recalled being utterly helpless to stop her own dismemberment. "copying his combative move-set to my database proved ineffective when it was needed the most."

"Who knows, maybe _you'll_ become a ninja too!" Nya joked.

"Not likely," Pixal laughed. "I am content to learn the basics."

"Speaking of which, where do we start?" Nya wondered.

Pixal moved to the middle of the room and waved Nya over to stand next to her. A pulsating, synthesized beat began emanating from the speakers in her head. Nya was mildly startled by the suddenness of this music which seemed to come out of nowhere.

"I believe that the best way to learn is to observe and replicate," Pixal stated. "so follow my lead and let the music guide you."

Pixal began to demonstrate, encouraging Nya to mimic her movements. Nya complied, trying to follow the motions that Pixal laid out for her, gesturing upwards with her hands then swaying downward with her arms, fumbling occasionally as she did so, while admiring the effortless dancing of her friend.

"Left arm out, right arm back, right arm out, left arm back," Pixal sighed happily as she continued to alternate her arms and rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, before stepping forward a few paces and repeating her movements. "your body is a conduit, feel the energy of the dance flow though it; twirl left and clap, twirl right and clap."

Nya watched as Pixal seemed to go into a trance, performing the moves with such smoothness and ease.

"I thought you said you couldn't dance," Nya mentioned. "that Zane was trying to teach you."

"Zane _does_ teach me; with him, I am learning the steps of the dances he knows – dances I do _not_ know," Pixal responded, gracefully twirling this way and that. "but the winter dance is in my programming, I know it automatically."

She stepped forward and rolled her arms upward, stepped backwards and rolled them down again, then paused to clap her hands three times. There was something hypnotic about how she repeated the dance with the kind of exact precision that only a droid could pull off. Nya copied to the best of her abilities, which – being a ninja – was not difficult. Pixal was right, the moves were coming to her very easily.

"We will need to go to Borg Industries for a fitting." Pixal casually remarked.

"Fitting?" Nya asked, not faltering from the dance.

"The outfits for the winter dance change every year," Pixal answered. "and there will be a dress rehearsal."

"So when we go to Borg Industries, will we be staying there until the gala?"

"Affirmative." She smiled.

 _Perfect…_ Nya thought to herself with a grin.


	10. Back to Borg Industries

Hello reader. We're nearly at the end now, this has been a lot of fun for me and I hope it has been for you too. Only two chapters left! In the meantime, here is the glossary for this chapter.

Portmanteau - a word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two others, for example _motel_ or _brunch._ In this case I'm referring to the pop duo Jedward who are twins from Ireland who do more charity work than pop music these days.

* * *

Having safely escorted Pixal to Nya's location, Cole decided to sit in on Zane and Jay, who – much like Pixal and Nya – were dancing, though for an entirely different reason, and in a much more secluded place than the ladies. The reason, Zane explained, was to prevent Nya from finding out what Jay was doing, as the latter was hoping to surprise the former at the gala. At first, Jay protested Cole watching their practice, only to be reminded by Zane that there would be hundreds of people at the gala, and if he intended to dance with Nya, then he'd have to get used to the idea of being observed. And having no counter argument, Jay soon relented.

"You need to stop looking at your feet." Zane scolded as they stood side by side, going over the steps.

"How am I supposed to keep track of my movements if I can't look at my feet?" Jay yelled.

"You will not need to look if you trust the music," Zane mentioned. "you are supposed to be leading, and leaders do not look at their feet, they lead with them."

"Yeah, Jay!" Cole snickered.

"Not helping!" Jay snapped.

"Perhaps you need to practice with someone…" Zane coolly said, glancing at Cole pointedly.

"Oh no, you're not dragging me into this!" Cole argued as he clocked onto Zane's line of thought.

"You already know how to dance, you would be the ideal person to help."

"I don't do closed position," Cole insisted. "personal rule."

"He would if Jasper was gonna be there..." Jay teased.

"At least I _can_ dance; in fact, I could dance better than you with my eyes closed!" Cole boasted, crossing his arms confidently.

"Good idea." Zane agreed, pulling a length of fabric from his pocket and wrapping it around Cole's head like a blindfold.

"Hey!" Cole waved his arms and cautiously walked about, trying not to bump into anything.

"Wait… why did you have that on you?" Jay wondered.

"I was going to put it on _you_ if you didn't stop looking at your feet." Zane replied.

Jay raised an eyebrow at that suggestion as Zane directed a now blindfolded Cole towards him. He didn't like this idea at all – sure, Cole would be able to be able to help, but there was always the chance that he would use the opportunity to show off. Zane directed them into the closed position, with a stern reminder to Cole that he was not to lead; Jay needed to practice.

"Okay, from the top." Zane instructed, playing the music aloud through his head speakers.

What followed was the most awkward and uncomfortable attempt at dancing that Zane had ever seen; even Pixal was not this nervous when she was dancing for the first time. Cole was managing to maintain his composure quite well, and was restraining from taking the lead much better than expected, but Jay was still looking at his feet. Zane shook his head.

"Perhaps I should procure an alternative arrangement." Zane sighed.

"You mean find a different person to practice with?" Jay asked hopefully.

"Not quite," Zane said as his eyes darkened. "I was thinking about putting pins in your collar…"

"Haha, that would stop you looking at your feet!" Cole chuckled.

"Jay, a word in your ear." Zane gestured for him to come over for a private word.

Jay separated himself from Cole and walked over to Zane, slightly concerned.

"Is this really what you want?" Zane asked seriously. "You do not seem very interested."

"Yes!" Jay responded, full of enthusiasm. "I swear, I want to learn to dance! I want to impress Nya at the big gala!"

"Understand this, Jay; the gala is less than a week from now, if you are serious about learning these moves, you will put aside your nerves and you will practice." He sternly warned.

On seeing his usually relaxed friend glancing sharply in his direction, Jay was overcome by a chill – ironic given Zane's elemental power. Never had he seen the nindroid look so serious before. It was a stark reminder that beneath the icy, nonchalant veneer that Zane held, a fierce fire burned. Jay was also reminded of the tale of his friend's explosive reaction on Chen's island a couple years ago. The man was capable of great destruction, there was no denying that.

"Of course, I will do my best!" Jay insisted.

He returned to his previous position, with a still blindfolded Cole wondering where he was. Zane nodded and started the music over from the beginning. Jay, still feeling awkward and uncertain of himself, attempted yet again to replicate the steps Zane had shown him. Although not too confident, Jay did manage to give Cole a small kick when he started leading out of habit. His moves were definitely more assured than they had been; it appeared that Jay had finally acquired some sense of trust in his own capability, even if he was occasionally fumbling his steps.

Zane smiled. His harsh tone apparently had done the trick and gotten Jay to take this thing seriously.

"Okay guys, we've got the transport sorted..." Kai announced as he walked in on the dance lesson. "What the what?"

"We might as well break for now," Zane sighed defeatedly, looking over at Jay. "but you must practice!"

"Did I miss something?" Kai wondered.

"I am teaching Jay to dance, but you must not tell anyone." Zane replied.

"Okay, but why not?"

"It is supposed to be a surprise for your sister." He explained.

"Jay, how many times do I have to tell you?" Kai sighed. "You just need to be yourself and stop trying so hard."

"Hey, it's a gala, you need to know how to dance anyway." Cole intervened, stepping away from Jay and stumbling in the general direction of Kai's voice.

"So why are you blindfolded?" Kai asked.

"I'm helping Jay to practice – I already know this stuff, so it was a good way for me to help out," Cole mentioned before falling over. "can I take this stupid thing off now?"

"Allow me." Zane offered, removing the fabric strip from Cole's face.

"Ah, thank you!" Cole grumbled as he stood up and brushed himself down.

"Maybe we could all have some dance lessons before the big day." Kai suggested. "I mean, Nya and Pixal are practicing for their dance, we should too."

"I think between you and me, we could whip these guys into shape," Cole bragged, turning to Zane with a smile. "can't have half the team showing us up, after all."

"Agreed, perhaps a group lesson is long overdue," Zane nodded. "and if we time it to coincide with Nya and Pixal's dance practice, they will be none the wiser."

"You're really clinging to this secrecy thing aren't you?" Cole sighed.

"I do not condone keeping secrets from ones teammates," Zane clarified. "however, when used correctly, it can produce extremely positive results; I could not have surprised Pixal with her new body if I had not opted for maximum confidentiality."

"And if used incorrectly, it can cause more pain than is necessary," Lloyd chimed in, having walked in on the tail end of the conversation.

"I am well aware of the risks involved in maintaining secrecy," Zane shamefully admitted, reminded that he should've told his friends of his survival when Pixal originally suggested it. "but we are not talking about a life or death situation here, merely taking the opportunity to do a different kind of training while Nya and Pixal are preoccupied with their own."

"Yeah, Lloyd, I've seen you dance, you of all people could do with a lesson or two." Cole chuckled.

"What's this then? Not planning a mutiny, I hope." Wu joked as he too entered the fray.

"No, sensei," Lloyd replied as they all bowed to their master. "we were just discussing the upcoming gala."

"Ah, yes, I was meaning to speak with you all about that," Wu began. "we have never gone to anything as prominent as this before, perhaps it would be wise to brush up on your social skills and basic etiquette."

"Funny, we were thinking something along those lines ourselves." Kai grinned.

"Does this mean you're not coming with us, sensei?" Lloyd wondered.

"Nothing has come up to prevent me from going, but I haven't decided either way," Wu shook his head. "Misako _will_ be going though, so I expect you all to be on your best behaviour."

"Yes sensei." They all responded in unison, bowing as Wu left the room.

"Well, you heard the master, we need to practice." Lloyd said with a smile.

* * *

A couple of days later, Sensei Wu was walking by the front door, when he heard some voices coming from outside. The ninja had not long left to go training, so he wondered who it could possibly be. He moved to a nearby window, where, on the doorstep, two suited gentlemen were arguing among themselves. He went back to the door and leaned against it to get a better idea of what their argument was about. Perhaps he, being an old master, could assist them.

"No, no, a thousand times no!" One voice rang out. "I don't care how funny you think it would be, we're not doing the portmanteau introduction – not to an important pick-up like this one."

"Aww, come on, she's got a sense of humour, she'll think it's funny!" The other voice spoke. "Those two singers do it all the time, and it's hilarious."

"For the last time, they're twins, it works with them – we look nothing alike, it wouldn't work for us."

Sensei Wu opened the door.

"May I help you?" He asked, briefly startling the two men to the point that one of them fell backwards into the snow.

The man who remained standing helped the other to his feet. They dusted off the snow and straightened up, attempting to at least _look_ professional in the wake of their casual doorstep banter being cut short.

"Good morning sir, my name is Harry Hedges, this is my associate, Bailey Benson," one of the men said, as they both bowed to him. "we have come to collect Miss Borg and Miss Nya."

At first, Wu was a little confused, but then he remembered Pixal saying that she and Nya would need to leave for Borg Industries, something about a fitting and a dress rehearsal; for the gala, he presumed.

"Ah, yes, please wait here a moment." Wu closed the door and turned to see Pixal excitedly running down the stairs.

"Hey, wait up!" Nya called after her, carrying a packed weekend bag in her hand as she too descended the stairs.

"You have been expecting these gentlemen, yes? Wu asked.

"Yes, sensei," Pixal replied. "they are friends of mine."

"I suppose this means I won't see either of you until the gala." Wu smiled.

"So you've decided to go after all?" Nya smiled back.

"I've never attended such a momentous event," He tipped his hat and gave a subtle wink before clearing his throat. "and one of my students taking the stage? I wouldn't miss it!"

"Nya has done well to learn the dance, you will be proud of her." Pixal asserted.

"I'm sure I will be proud of _all_ my students," Wu responded as he approached the front door to open it. "after all, you will all be on your best behaviour."

"Miss Borg, Miss Nya," Benson smiled warmly as the door opened. "how good to see you both."

"Mr Benson," Pixal beamed. "and Mr Hedges, I'm so glad you're working together again."

"May I take your bag?" Hedges offered.

"Thanks." Nya grinned as she handed it to him.

"Safe travels," Wu said as the young ladies left the temple. "I will see you both at the gala."

They bowed to him and headed toward the helicopter parked nearby, with Benson taking the lead and Hedges behind them. Pixal excitedly walked next to Benson, chatting and laughing with him. Nya walked alongside Hedges and glanced over at him occasionally. He maintained a professional coolness as they approached the bird, much to Nya's surprise, given that the last time she saw him, he had approached Zane quite casually and even used a nickname. As if sensing her curiosity, Hedges turned to her.

"One of us has to stay professional." He stated, gesturing to Benson, who was still gabbing away with Pixal as though he were on holiday rather than an important client pick-up.

Benson slid the side door open and assisted Pixal and Nya onto the helicopter. He and Hedges climbed in and began the routine for safe departure; door correctly closed, everyone strapped into their own seats, luggage stowed away securely. With a thumbs up from Hedges, the pilot began the take off.

"The girls are so excited to have you back for the winter dance this year." Benson said to Pixal.

"As is Mr Borg." Hedges added.

"Do you guys get to go to the gala as well?" Nya asked.

"Yep, we're normally on security detail but Mr Borg-"

"Our shifts have been covered by other officers who owed us a favour," Hedges interrupted. "we've been allowed a plus one this year too."

"I'm bringing Jack," Benson grinned from ear to ear. "he's a lot better now, his hair has grown back and everything."

"What about you Mr Hedges?" Pixal wondered.

"I'm still unattached, but Jasper will be joining me this year." Hedges mentioned.

"That's his neighbour," Benson whispered to Nya. "she designed one of his tattoos."

The hushed mention of tattoos was enough to cause a mildly uncomfortable silence between the two security officers. Pixal and Nya didn't need to know the details, but it went without saying that the Anacondrai tattoo on Hedges' back was indicative of some strain between the two men. Their friendship had been through worse bumps, and everything worked out in the end, but Benson had yet to get a tattoo of his own as a result.

The remainder of the trip passed fairly quietly; Benson and Hedges hadn't said a word, though Pixal and Nya had discussed a number of things – ninja training, dance practice, their new domestic arrangements, their hopes for the New Year – over the half an hour it took to get to New Ninjago from the temple. The helicopter came in to land, and Pixal was flooded with the memories of a few years ago: fetching Zane's blueprints from Dr Julian's underground home and rebuilding him on the city defences floor. She sighed wistfully.

The bird came to a stop and the propellers gently slowed down. Hedges assisted Pixal and Nya in disembarking from the helicopter, while Benson retrieved their bag from the hold and deftly handed it to Nya.

"You should see Mr Abakhan in textile manufacture before you settle in." Hedges suggested.

"Thank you for escorting us here." Pixal bowed.

"It was our pleasure." Benson responded, as he and Hedges bowed to them both.

Pixal and Nya walked over to the elevator and pressed the call button. They got in and made their way down to the textile department. Given that most of the machinists were still on their winter break, Pixal was only expecting to see Mr Abakhan on that floor. Then the doors opened and Pixal was met with a sight she had not seen in a while; three of the ladies she usually danced with were all gathered around Mr Abakhan, and one of them was being fitted with the outfit for this year's _fuyu no odori_.

"Hello everyone," Pixal smiled. "this is-"

"Pixal!" They exclaimed, dashing over to her enthusiastically and enveloping her in a group hug.

"Looks like you were missed." Nya chuckled.

"Oh Pixal, we're so glad to see you!" A lively redheaded girl beamed.

"We heard you got engaged, congratulations!" Professed a blonde girl who playfully batted at Pixal's shoulder.

"Thank you Rae," Pixal happily said. "allow me to introduce you to Nya, she is joining us for the winter dance this year."

"Nya? As in, the Water ninja?" A third, brunette girl excitedly clapped her hands.

"That's me." Nya smiled.

The three girls fell about into a chorus of exuberant bouncing, excited squeals and coquettish giggling as they stood before Nya. They were so thrilled to be meeting the master of water, that for a moment they forgot themselves; Ruby shushed her two companions and then all three respectfully bowed to her.

"Nya, I'd like to introduce Ruby, Rose and Rae," Pixal gestured to the redhead, the brunette and the blonde respectively. "Ruby works here in textiles, Rose is from the gemmology department and Rae is the lead scientist in endocrinology."

"It's nice to meet you all." Nya declared.

"We offered to take the place of two dancers who backed out," Pixal mentioned, briefly looking around. "where are Marilyn and Shiro?"

"They eloped…" Rae said.

"Yeah, with each other." Ruby gossiped, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh my…" Pixal raised a hand to cover her shocked expression. "but Marilyn was engaged to someone else, wasn't she?"

"He left her for another woman – the swine," the brunette girl growled. "Shiro was picking up the pieces for months afterward; I guess they got closer than we thought."

Ruby and Rae nodded in agreement.

"Ladies, please!" Mr Abakhan intervened as he too came over. "Rose, what have I told you about idle gossip?"

"That it's unbecoming of an odori dancer." She repeated the oft quoted phrase, favoured by the aging tailor, and flicked her shiny brown hair to one side.

"Exactly, even if Marilyn's ex _was_ a dubious stain on humanity, we don't gossip on this floor," He stated, before turning to Pixal and bowing. "Miss Borg, how lovely to see you again."

"Mr Abakhan, it is good to see you also," Pixal replied. "and may we congratulate you; we saw your Destiny Collection in the department store recently."

"Thank you, dear, truly it was the pinnacle of all my worldly tailoring experience," Mr Abakhan gestured to Rae, who was being fitted just as Pixal and Nya had come onto floor. "and what do you make of this year's winter dance uniform?"

"Wow, it's really pretty," Nya commented. "are they gonna be in different colours?"

"Tch, of course," Rae chimed in before Mr Abakhan could speak. "Rose is insisting on crimson and amber, but I wouldn't be seen dead in anything other than sakura pink."

"Yes, we're all well aware of your preferences Rae," He laughed, patting her on the shoulder. "she's right though, you may choose your own fabric."

"I know it seems a strange combination, but can you do maroon and light blue?" Nya wondered.

"It's certainly doable." He nodded.

"Mr Abakhan is the most talented designer in all of Ninjago, if anyone can make a colour combination work, it is him." Pixal spoke confidently.

"There is one minor catch," Mr Abakhan admitted, looking at Pixal. "unfortunately, your colours have been pre-determined."

"That's hardly fair, is it?" Nya argued. "If anyone should be able to choose their colours it should be Pixal; her dad owns this place, you know?"

"Please accept my apologies, Miss Borg, but as leader of the dance you must stand out," Mr Abakhan bowed deeply, his eyes fixed upon the floor. "as such, the task of choosing a suitable colour fell on me."

"It is alright, I do not mind," Pixal said, gently touching his shoulder. "I am sure whatever you have chosen will be most acceptable."

"Thank you, Miss Borg," He replied, standing upright and smiling at her. "believe me, I have selected the most exquisite fabric available – all eyes will be upon you."

"We're all just so happy to have you back, if only for a few days," Rae declared. "and we can't wait to meet your fiancé!"

"And the other ninja too," Rose added. "especially the master of fire."

"Yes, Rose, we're all well aware of _your_ preferences too." Mr Abakhan said as he rolled his eyes.


	11. A Secret Plot

It was the day before New Year's Eve, and the ninja were just finishing another dance practice. Since Pixal and Nya had vacated the temple, they could practice anywhere they fancied, and had been moving from room to room just for the sake of it. In fact, to really shake things up, this time they had been practicing on the roof of the temple.

"That was a great idea." Lloyd remarked as they all came down.

"Nothing like being hundreds of feet in the air to increase concentration," Zane mentioned. "everyone has improved a great deal."

"You've stopped looking at your feet and everything." Cole said to Jay.

"It's hard to look down when you know how high up you are." Jay nervously laughed.

"I believe that changing one's environment encourages higher memory retention," Zane stated. "if you can remember something at that altitude, you can remember it in a packed room where others will be observing."

"So how you hangin' in there, bro?" Kai asked.

"Who, me?" Zane responded, pointing at himself.

Kai nodded at him. Suddenly they all stopped in the hallway and turned to look at Zane. He had only been apart from his fiancée for three days, so it seemed like a strange question to ask, but given his initial reaction of being possibly separated from Pixal long-term, perhaps it wasn't so strange after all.

"I am fine, thank you." Zane said as he carried on walking.

"He misses her." Kai declared to the others once he was sure Zane was sufficiently out of earshot.

"Of course he does, but you know Zane, he's so stoic," Lloyd agreed. "besides, they'll see each other tomorrow – presumably she'll be coming home after the gala with Nya."

"Speaking of which, has anyone heard from Nya?" Jay wondered.

"Yeah, it's all pretty standard stuff though, you know; 'I met the other dancers, they seem like fun', 'Pixal has her own room here and it's huge', 'the outfits are super cool, we took a selfie in them today', and let's not forget today's thrilling news – 'we're having a sleepover in Pixal's room later'." Kai elaborated.

"They sent you a selfie?" Jay gasped. "They took a selfie, sent it to _you_ and you didn't show us?"

"What's the big deal? It's just a selfie." Kai shrugged.

" _Just_ a selfie? I don't think so…" Jay insisted. "if they're in their winter dance outfits, we need to see it; we're gonna be mixing with the upper echelon of society, we need to remain composed at all times."

"Basically, if Jay faints when he sees Nya's outfit, it won't reflect well on us." Cole surmised.

Kai raised an eyebrow and glanced over at Lloyd.

"It couldn't hurt to have an advantage," Lloyd shrugged. "no matter how small."

"Okay, I'll show you, we'll head to the comms room." Kai said

As Kai led the way, he shook his head. It was all utter nonsense, this was just another opportunity for Jay to fawn over Nya. No one ever asked him how he felt about one of his teammates being in love with his sister. But still, just having Jay hit on Nya was better than when Cole was doing it too; that was seriously annoying – it disrupted the team dynamics and made things super awkward for a while, even after Cole had given up the game.

They approached the computer and Kai typed on the keyboard, pulling up the messages he'd been receiving from his sister while she was at Borg Industries. He clicked on the attachment and the photo opened up – Pixal and Nya were posing with three other girls; all five of them were decked out in their dancing kimono.

"Hey, that one looks like Jasper." Cole grinned, pointing at the one with red hair.

"Nah, it can't be," Lloyd disagreed. "she looks a bit older."

"Maybe she has an older sister," Cole mused optimistically. "and if she _has,_ that could mean Jasper will be at the gala!"

"Is it just me or does Pixal's kimono look a little… formal for a dancer?" Jay wondered. "And what's that in Nya's hand?"

The ninja looked closely at the picture, and that's when they saw it. Cole and Lloyd immediately gasped, while Jay had pretty much fainted. Kai wasn't sure what was going on; what did they see in the picture that he didn't?

"Cole, go keep a lookout for Zane, do NOT let him come in here!" Lloyd instructed as he knelt down and tried to wake Jay up. Cole nodded and bolted out the door. "She wouldn't… would she?"

"I don't get it, what's going on?" Kai looked confused.

"Kai, look at that picture, tell me what you see."

"I see my sister, wearing her ninja colours as a kimono and holding something small in her hand, there are three other girls in kimono – one of them is wearing _my_ ninja colours – and Pixal's kimono…" Kai squinted, trying to see what was so shocking. "is not purple for once? I don't get it."

"It's not purple, so what colour is it?" Lloyd said as Jay started coming around.

"White, and red, with gold highlights…" Kai squinted some more and suddenly gasped as he finally figured it out.

He quickly closed the photo and clicked off of his emails.

"This was her plan all along, wasn't it?" Kai muttered.

"Could be…" Lloyd sighed.

"I hope she knows what she's doing…"

* * *

"I'm so excited about the gala tomorrow!" Rae squeaked.

"Me too, it's great to have the old gang back together." Rose agreed.

"Well, sort of," Ruby shook her head. "Marilyn and Shiro aren't here."

"Maybe not, but we have Pixal back, and Nya is dancing with us," Rae smiled, throwing a pillow at Ruby. "one of the elemental ninja – can you imagine? It's like a dream come true!"

"I'm happy to be here," Nya smiled back. "I just hope I'm up to your standards, I haven't been dancing long."

"You're amazing!" Ruby insisted, bouncing on the bed and hitting Rose with the pillow Rae threw at her. "We've never had anyone of your reputation dancing with us, right Pixal?"

"You have done extremely well, as is expected of one of Sensei Wu's students." Pixal nodded.

Following a most successful dress rehearsal, the five ladies had convened in Pixal's private bedroom for a slumber party. A group activity like this was good for teambuilding, even as Rose tackled Rae and hit her with a frilled cushion, a generous dose of team spirit hung in the air.

"I can't believe this room, it's just amazing," Nya said, glancing around at the lush environment. "and this is where you brought Zane, right?"

That remark immediately got Ruby's attention. She paused mid-throw and scuttled over to where Pixal and Nya were lounging on a pile of pillows. Using the cushion she was going to hit Rae with to sit on, she looked up at them with stars in her eyes.

"You brought your fiancée here?" She squeaked again, loud enough that the others heard and ran over eagerly, planting themselves next to Ruby and waiting to hear all about it.

"He was not even my boyfriend at the time," Pixal admitted. "in fact I had just finished rebuilding him-"

"Aww!" The three chimed in unison before they began throwing questions at her.

"When did you find out he was still alive?"

"How did you rebuild him?"

"What did you do once he was here?"

"One at a time, girls," Nya chuckled, grinning at Pixal. "but yeah, I'd like to hear about that too."

"So you don't know this story either?" Ruby wondered.

"Not all of it, I've only heard it from Zane's perspective," Nya replied. "I _do_ know that the day I came to see how she was doing, she was actually in the middle of rebuilding his body."

"And you had no idea?" Rae giggled.

"Nope, not a clue," Nya shot a cheeky grin at the sheepish droid beside her. "evidently she's quite the actress."

"Oh, now we _have_ to hear the story!" Rose exclaimed, bouncing in place.

"I first found out that Zane was alive the day of his memorial service," Pixal began. "Mr Borg had offered to give me the day off so I could go, even arranged a ride for us both, but I just couldn't do it – losing Zane was hard enough, saying goodbye might well have sent me into system shutdown."

"Yeah, it was hard on all of us, and I knew that if we were struggling then Pixal would be too," Nya sighed as she turned to the girls. "I'd been coming here every day to see her, but it was only when I brought her one of Zane's spare uniforms that she seemed to improve."

"Even then, it was not much," Pixal confessed. "I had gone from constantly hiding in my room, to hiding in my room only at night, and hiding in the console room during the day."

"That makes sense; when my grandfather passed away, my mother had a teddy bear made from one of his shirts," Ruby mentioned. "it helped me a lot."

"I was in the console room when he first appeared to me, the screens flashed and buzzed and suddenly I heard his voice," Pixal said as she recalled that day. "at first I thought I was malfunctioning, but when I ran to the nearest factory floor, and his voice called out to me… "are we compatible now?", I knew he was really there."

Pixal's eyes glazed over as she continued the story.

"He had transmitted his digital subconscious just before his physical body exploded in the battle, and had spent days trying to find his way into Mr Borg's systems… I was so happy to hear his voice," Pixal looked down at her hands as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. "when he transferred himself to a hard drive, I connected that hard drive to my internal systems, so I could see him again."

A wide, peaceful smile spread across her lips, and she looked up – eyes full of tears – to see her companions bearing an expression of giddy concern. Nya leaned over to grab a packet of tissues from the weekend bag and handed them to Pixal. She used one to dab the tears away and handed the rest of the tissues to Rae, who appeared to need them more than she did.

"It's just so beautiful!" Rae whimpered, accepting the tissues gratefully.

"So what happened then?" Ruby sniffled.

"We went on a journey to Zane's father's home in Birchwood Forest, to find his blueprints, and we happened upon another power source while we were there," Pixal explained. "Mr Borg let us rebuild him here, but Zane did not want anyone else to know he was alive until his body was finished: something I strongly protested – he placed a lot of value in himself as a team member, but not as an individual, and while it worried me, I trusted his judgment and said no more about it."

"This part I knew about," Nya clarified for their enraptured audience. "Zane has since told me that he should've listened to Pixal and told us that he was alive sooner."

"When his body was finished, we decided to leave the following day, and Mr Hedges arranged our transport-"

"Do you mean tall Hedges from security?" Rae asked.

"Yes, that's him." Pixal answered.

"Ooh, he's so handsome!" Rae squealed. "I hope he's at the gala tomorrow."

"I wouldn't count on it, he's usually working." Rose intervened.

"Actually, he _is_ going to the gala as a guest," Nya corrected. "he's currently single, so he's bringing a friend as his plus one."

"You don't need to tell me - it's my sister he's bringing," Ruby laughed. "anyway, enough of the brief interlude, what happened after that, Pixal?"

"Even though Zane was in disguise, the ferryman somehow found out who he was, and-"

"Wait, wait, you're missing out the best bit!" Rose interrupted.

"Yeah," Rae agreed. "what happened when you brought Zane up to your room?"

"Should I cover my ears or is this part PG?" Nya chuckled, causing Pixal's facial circuits to glow with embarrassment.

"Nothing inappropriate happened, he merely began teaching me to dance," She insisted as her expression turned soft and warm. "oh, it was good fun – he is so talented and such a patient teacher – I have never danced in the closed position before, so it was quite the learning experience."

"And then?" Rose asked expectantly.

"He was tired, so I sat at the head of the bed and let him use my lap as a pillow-"

All four girls immediately descended into fangirlish squealing, interrupting Pixal mid-sentence.

"You never told me that part before!" Nya beamed, with her eyes wide and her mouth dropped open in astonishment.

"Oh my goodness, how cute!" Ruby purred, grabbing Rae and hugging her tightly.

"Pass me the tissues, I'm gonna cry!" Rose waved her hand in front of her face, as the impending tears would likely make her mascara run.

"I did not realise it was such a big deal." Pixal uttered.

"Are you kidding? It's a huge deal!" Nya grinned. "It's such an intimate thing to do, especially with someone you like; it's a sign of tremendous trust."

"Zane is most certainly worthy of my trust; he rebuilt me, he loves me, and I love him," Pixal proudly declared. "I would marry him tomorrow if I could."

Nya giggled as Pixal's determined, honest statement sent the other girls into another fit of fangirl screams and animated wiggling. It wasn't long before Rae pulled Nya and Pixal into a warm, enthusiastic hug; Ruby and Rose also entered the display of communal affection, which is where they all stayed for some time. The wholesome scene was only interrupted when Ruby took the cushion she was once sitting on and used it for its original intended purpose – hitting Rae and sparking yet another pillow fight.


	12. New Year's Eve Surprise

Happy New Year dear reader! I hope you are enjoying the story! There will be one more chapter after this one, as it was getting a bit long. Please find the glossary for this chapter.

Tomesode - formal kimono worn by married women

Yakko-shimada - formal hairstyle usually reserved for New Years

Kura-okami - Japanese God of rain and snow

Daimyo - feudal era land baron who held a position of power in government

Warenshinobu - formal hairstyle worn by maiko

Kanzashi - hair ornament worn with the traditional Japanese hairstyles

* * *

It was the night of the New Year's Eve gala. Mr Borg, concerned about the long travel time from the temple to New Ninjago, called first thing in the morning and offered the ninja complimentary accommodation in a luxury hotel not far from Borg Industries – he had even sent a helicopter to pick them up earlier that day. They called the transport company to rearrange their pick up point and time for the gala, and then packed for their stay in New Ninjago city. Luckily, the helicopter flight had not disturbed their evening wear all that much, so a quick once over with the iron and all was well. As they convened in the lobby, the ninja were dressed to the nines, with Cole adjusting their bow ties and Sensei Wu reminding them of their obligations – they were representing their team and their master, so minding their conduct was an absolute must.

"This is gonna be great," Jay remarked. "I can't wait to see the winter dance!"

"You mean, you can't wait to see Nya in the winter dance," Lloyd teased, nudging Jay in the ribs. "we know you by now."

"I'm looking forward to everything that's gonna happen tonight, Lloyd," Jay replied with a wink. "how about you Zane?"

"I am anticipating a night of fun and frivolity," Zane smiled. "like Jay, I am also interested in seeing the winter dance; I have never seen Pixal's dancing skills and look forward to seeing them."

"I wonder if anything unexpected will happen." Kai asked.

"Like what?" Cole wondered.

"Like, how funny would it be if someone used the opportunity to make a big announcement," Kai not-so-subtly hinted. "like an engagement, or a wedding."

Lloyd spun on his heel and shot Kai an incredulous glance. Kai merely winked in return and pretended to adjust his already-styled hair.

"Well, Nya was saying that the two dancers that backed out actually eloped." Kai casually mentioned.

"I thought the winter dancers were all female though." Cole appeared very confused by this revelation.

"They are, brick head, but women can get married too ya know," Kai chuckled. "you been hiding under a rock or something?"

"Who'd get married on New Year's Eve, though?" Lloyd remarked, pointedly brushing against Kai as he walked past him,

"Zane might," Kai stated bluntly as Lloyd and Cole worriedly stared at him. "how quickly you forget that our nindroid brother is engaged."

"Imagine that," Jay nervously laughed, fully aware that Zane could hear everything they were saying. "going steady by the 21st, engaged on the 25th and married on the 31st, talk about a whirlwind romance!"

"It is a good idea," Zane piped up. "if only we had thought of it sooner, we could have made arrangements with Mr Borg."

That was not the response they expected.

"But… wouldn't you want to wait before you got married?" Lloyd queried.

"Wait? What for?"

"Engaged couples typically set their wedding date a year or so in advance," Wu intervened. "it allows for time to plan and time to make sure they are compatible, though I don't think that's a concern in your case."

"I suppose we could wait a year, but I would be perfectly happy to get married anytime," Zane said with absolute certainty. "I have already waited a lifetime for someone who I connect with as well as Pixal."

"You speak with great conviction, Zane, your father would be proud of you." Wu smiled, patting him on the shoulder.

"Thank you." He smiled back.

"Oh, has anyone seen Misako?" Wu asked, looking around.

"She said she'd be down by 7:30." Lloyd replied.

"It's past that now," Wu mentioned, glancing up at the clock behind the reception desk. "I'd better see what's keeping her."

Wu approached the receptionist to call up to Misako's room, while Zane and Cole were discussing the dance moves they'd been practicing with Jay. Lloyd tapped Kai on the shoulder and gave him a serious look.

"You do realise that if we're wrong about that photo, you've made yourself look foolish before we've even gotten to the gala." Lloyd said with his arms behind his back.

"You seemed pretty certain yesterday, but if you're having second thoughts," Kai grinned. "perhaps you'd care to make a wager?"

"Double or nothing?" Lloyd suggested, holding out his hand.

"Done," Kai accepted his teammates hand and leaned in close to whisper a familiar phrase. "prepare to lose."

Moments later, Misako exited the lift. Adorned in an emerald green tomesode and a silver obi, with her blonde hair tied up in a yakko-shimada style, she came over to where her son and his team were waiting in the lobby.

"I'm sorry I'm late, I couldn't do a thing with my hair until it was dry, and I forgot to bring my high-speed hairdryer." She bowed.

"Don't worry, the car isn't here yet." Kai added.

"You look great, mum." Lloyd beamed.

Just as Lloyd finished speaking, a suited gentleman entered the lobby and went over to the reception desk, where Wu was still waiting for the receptionist to get a response from Misako's room – completely unaware that Misako had arrived moments before. After a short back-and-forth it became clear that the gentleman was there to pick up Wu, Misako and the ninja. The man tipped his hat and walked back out the door.

"Well, everyone, the car is outside," Wu said. As he returned to the group, he noticed that Misako had finally joined them. "Misako, you look lovely."

"Thank you," Misako beamed, observing the crisp white Shinto vestments Wu was wearing. "I must say, you look very smart."

"Well, I mustn't let the team down; everyone else is dressed in their best, so I made sure to wear my finest robes."

They were mildly surprised when they exited the hotel and found that the estate car they requested had been upgraded to a limousine. The suited gentleman opened the rear door, and as the ninja excitedly got in, Wu paused by the man and turned to him.

"Are you certain this is our vehicle?" He asked.

"Yes sensei, courtesy of Mr Borg." The man bowed and gestured for him to get in.

Wu shrugged and assisted Misako into the limo, before getting in himself. The man – who turned out to be the driver – closed the rear door and got into the driver's seat. As he revved up the engine and started the journey to Borg Industries, he could hear the exuberant hustle and bustle of his passengers.

"How cool is this?" Jay grinned as lofi hip hop began playing out of the speakers and strips of bright LED lights glowed on the ceiling.

"Now this is the way to travel to a gala." Cole nodded.

"Aren't we leaving a little early?" Lloyd wondered. "It's only 7:45, the gala doesn't start 'til 8."

"Mr Borg thought you might like to enjoy the ride sir," A voice rang out over the speaker system. "we're taking the scenic route."

Lloyd glanced around at the others, and they all seemed quite happy to go along with it, so he just shrugged and asked Kai to pass him a soda from the mini bar. The limo drove around all the city, passing the open air ice rink, the park where Zane's memorial still stood, the docks which were covered in festive lights, even the Ninjago 109 department store where they had gone clothes shopping. Kai leaned to one side and accidentally pressed a button with his elbow. The sunroof opened above his head and, as if compelled by some unseen force, he clambered up and propped himself up on the roof.

Wu was just about to admonish the fire ninja, until Misako stopped him.

"Let him have this moment," She advised with a smile. "it's not everyday they get to do this."

"This isn't how ninja should behave." Wu stated.

"I seem to recall you doing something similar the first time you rode in a convertible." Misako countered, halting Wu's argument flat.

Jay decided to join Kai in sticking his upper body out of the sunroof, and as the wind whooshed through his hair and he watched the city go by, his eyes grew wide with wonder. Passers-by going about their business waved to him, and he waved back, beaming like the sun. Kai then dropped down and Cole took his place, equally impressed by the sights of the city at night.

"You want to have a go?" Kai asked Zane, who – unlike Lloyd, eagerly waiting his turn after Jay – remained seated.

"No, thank you." Zane politely smiled.

At that point Jay and Lloyd switched places, and Jay took a seat once more.

"Aw, c'mon, it's great!" Jay mentioned, his face flush from the cold winter air.

"Perhaps later."

"It is important to expose yourself to new experiences," Wu cut in, as if offering his approval. "you may be too tired to enjoy it later."

"If I may be honest for a moment, I'm too nervous." Zane confessed.

"It's not dangerous or anything," Kai assured him. "it's fun to see New Ninjago all lit up and wave to people."

"My anxiety is less to do with the sunroof and more to do with the gala," Zane explained. "we will be meeting dignitaries and Mr Borg's closest associates, I wish to make a good impression."

"You'll be fine," Wu asserted. "you all will be."

Cole and Lloyd finally came down and sat for the remainder of the journey. The wind had done a number on everyone's hair – with the exception of Kai's, which was held firmly in place with gel – so they attempted to fix the damage before arriving at the gala. Fortunately, Jay always had a comb with him, and the blacked out windows were reflective enough to act as a mirror.

"We're here Sirs, Madam." The driver said.

As the limo came to a stop, someone outside the car opened the door. The ninja were astonished to see a red carpet and flashing cameras as they each stepped out.

"I had no idea it was gonna be this big." Kai whispered to Lloyd as fans cheered and cameras flashed.

A reporter came rushing over once they were all out of the limo.

"I'm here at the Borg Industries New Year's Eve gala, where the elemental ninja have just arrived!" The lady excitedly announced to a camera following her around. "Lloyd, oh Lloyd! Tell me, is it true that you're still single?"

"Uh, yes?" Lloyd replied, as the female cheering got louder and more high-pitched.

"You heard it here first folks!" She beamed to the camera. "Oh, there he is, Cole! Over here! Is it true you can bench press 1000lbs?"

"Last count was 1200lbs actually." Cole boasted.

"Wow! Talk about a world record!" She grinned widely, when suddenly she noticed Zane. "Ah! Ninjago's own kura-okami! Zane, Zane, a word in your ear! Rumour has it that you're engaged to Mr Borg's daughter, care to weigh in?"

"Yes, it is true," Zane remarked with a huge grin. "Pixal and I are engaged to be married."

The crowd exploded into cheering and whistling at hearing this revelation. Zane was mildly confused to say the least.

"I did not know it was public knowledge." He said to the reporter.

"Good new travels fast, Zane, congratulations," She grinned again and dashed over to Sensei Wu. "sir, I must ask! We hear that you are seeking to rebuild the monastery where you were the head priest, will you rebuild where the old monastery once stood?"

"Like a phoenix from the ashes, the Spinjitzu monastery will be reborn," Wu proudly answered. "I am just waiting for planning permission."

"There you have it; an important piece of Ninjago history is coming back soon! Keep your eyes peeled guys!" She enthusiastically spoke.

Suddenly another limo pulled up, and the reporter ecstatically moved to interview the person getting out. The ninja, their master, and Misako entered the building and were greeted by two waitresses offering them a welcome drink; the ninja paused, looking to their sensei for permission to take what appeared to be alcohol. Wu smiled and nodded, each of them took a glass, and thanked the waitresses. The red carpet continued and led to the far wall, where official greeters were summoning the elevators to take guests up to the banquet hall. Flashing lights decorated the walls as far up as they went, trees covered in baubles glittered to the rhythm of the flashing lights. Such was the immense extravagance that all were rendered speechless by its beauty, and the elevator journey passed in silence. The floor which held the banqueting hall was peculiar, in that the elevator opened to a giant, wall-to-wall curtain, and two more greeters who held the drawback sashes in their hands.

"Distinguished guests, how may we announce you?" One of them asked, looking at a clipboard.

"Sensei Wu, Lady Misako, and the elemental ninja by their respective element, if you would." Wu mentioned.

The greeter scrolled through the list and found the names she was looking for.

"If you would be so kind as to enter as we announce you." She bowed and nodded to the other greeter.

Raising their microphones, they each stepped back, pulling the curtain back as they did so. It was then that the scale of the affair became abundantly clear; on the other side of the curtain was a huge, grand staircase leading down to the main hall, where many people were already gathered – drinking and socialising as a stringed orchestra played - when Nya said that this was the biggest event in the Ninjago calendar, she wasn't kidding.

"I guess now we know why there isn't a 13th floor." Kai whispered.

"Yeah, it's not the sort of room you expect to see in a skyscraper." Lloyd nodded in agreement.

The two greeters proceeded to announce the team.

"Please welcome… Sensei Wu, son of the First Spinjitzu Master, head priest of the Spinjitzu monastery…"

"…Lady Misako, daughter-in-law to the First Spinjitzu Master, head archaeologist at the Ninjago Museum of History…"

…Lloyd Garmadon, grandson of the First Spinjitzu Master, Ninja and Master of Energy, leader of the Elemental Ninja…"

"…Kai, son of the Elemental Masters of Fire and Water, Ninja and Master of Fire, head blacksmith at Four Weapons…"

"…Cole, son of the Elemental Master of Earth and a Royal Blacksmith counter-tenor, Ninja and Master of Earth…"

"Are they really gonna do that for all of us?" Jay whispered to Zane.

"…Jay, son of the Elemental Master of Lightning, Ninja and Master of Lightning, romantic intended of the current Master of Water…"

"It looks that way, yes." Zane whispered as Jay's face turned red.

"…Zane, son of the late Dr Julien, successor to the Elemental Master of Ice, Ninja and Master of Ice, honourable protector of the daimyo's daughter..."

A pair of photographers were planted at the base of the stairs, taking pictures of the ninja as they descended. There were more photographers dotted about, no doubt hired by the PR staff to take official photos for the company blog, as delegates and staff members alike posed for them. More honoured guests were announced as they too entered the sprawling and elegant room. Along the outer edges of the room were many tables, dressed with fine white linen and clusters of balloons, and chairs adorned with shimmering ribbon. More balloons stretched upwards and danced about the ceiling, while the walls were draped with gold fabric.

Suddenly, Nya appeared with three girls in tow. They tottered over to the ninja, fully dressed in their winter dance regalia, with Pixal conspicuously missing from the group. They politely bowed to the ninja.

"Hi guys," Nya beamed. "what do you think?"

"Hey sis, you look great!" Kai grinned. "Love the kimono, it really suits you."

"Thanks," She smiled. "these are my new friends; Rose, Rae and Ruby."

"Nice to meet you all," Rae bowed. "Nya has told us all about you."

"Good things, I hope." Lloyd commented.

"Naturally," Rose turned to Kai and bowed. "I hope you don't mind me commandeering your ninja colours; I greatly admire them, and you."

Cole and Lloyd began chuckling and nudging each other.

"Thank you." Kai smiled and winked, causing the young lady to blush the same crimson shade as her kimono.

"And you must be Zane," Ruby purred. "oh, yes, Pixal has told us a great deal about you."

"My reputation precedes me, apparently," Zane said with a grin. "where is Pixal, anyway?"

"You can't see her yet, it's bad luck." Rose blurted out.

"Bad luck?"

"It's the tradition for a we-"

"For the winter dance," Rae interrupted, slapping her hand over Rose's mouth. "once all the guests are here, you can, but not until then."

"Sensei, may we borrow you for a minute?" Nya asked, briefly tapping her eye.

"Of course," Wu replied, copying the gesture. "if you will excuse me."

And with that, Sensei Wu, Nya and the three dancers walked away.

"Jay! Yoo hoo! Over here son!" A male voice called out.

"You have got to be kidding me," Jay said to himself as he turned around. "Dad? Mom? What are you guys doing here?"

"Oh hey there, son," Edna came over and gave Jay a big hug. "can you believe we got invited to this big do?"

"We had no idea you were gonna be here too, ya know?" Ed smiled.

"Me neither. When did you guys get here?" Jay wondered as he hugged his parents.

"Mr Borg sent a chopper out to pick us up this afternoon, even bought us these fancy digs," Ed explained, touching the lapels of his suit. "we swung by Lou Hence's place too there."

"My dad's here?" Cole queried, looking around.

"I coulda sworn he was directing the orchestra." Edna mentioned.

"Attention," Came a voice over the speakers. "Attention everyone, if you would care to take your seats."

As the wait staff began to direct everyone to their respective tables, it wasn't long before the team came across two familiar faces.

"Well, well, if it isn't my old friend Zander."

"Mr Hedges," Zane grinned. "How nice to see you again."

"Good to see you too, this is-"

"Jasper!" Cole beamed widely.

"Cole! I didn't know you were gonna be here," She shyly smiled. "Harry, this is guy I told you about."

"I wholeheartedly approve." Hedges said with a chuckle.

"Excuse me, please," A young man in uniform intervened, checking the names on his clipboard. "esteemed guests, follow me to your table."

"No need to be so formal Steve, you know me." Hedges patted the young man's shoulder.

"We're sitting with the ninja?" Jasper squeaked.

"Yes, miss, please follow me."

Steve led them all to a table quite close to the where Mr Borg was waiting to make a further announcement, and there awaited yet another familiar face.

"Bailey, I was wondering where you'd been hiding," Hedges laughed as he sat next to his best friend. "Hey Jack, good to see your hair's grown back."

"Thanks Harry," Jack smiled. "oh my gosh, are we sitting with the ninja?"

"Ha ha, looks like we're pretty popular tonight." Kai joked as they all sat down.

With everyone seated, the main lights dimmed and a spotlight shone over by the far wall, where Mr Borg was tapping on a microphone. The room quietened as all eyes were on the CEO of the company.

"Thank you all for attending this New Year's Eve gala," He began. "truly this is a most spectacular occasion, not only are we joined by Ninjago's very own elemental protectors..."

A second spotlight shone over where the ninja were sitting and a loud round of applause rang out; the ninja, caught completely unaware, simply smiled and waved to the crowd.

"...But my dear Pixal is also with us to perform the winter dance, thanks to the valiant efforts of the Master of Ice," Cyrus held out his hand. "Zane, if you would."

Jay gave him a playful shove, and Zane arose to even more applause. He walked over to Mr Borg, and Sensei Wu appeared from behind the wall length curtain. Seconds later, Pixal herself appeared. Attired in a mid-length white kimono, lightly embroidered with gold cranes, with a red obi and gold obiage. Her outer kimono was solid white, save for the blood red lining of the sleeves, and her hair was elegantly tied back into a warenshinobu style with a crane shaped kanzashi.

As soon as she stepped toward him, and glanced up at him with her cherry red lips and her facial circuits glowing purple, he paused; frozen in place as he had been last week, when she sat by him in shorts and a t-shirt.

"By now, the news of Pixal's engagement to Zane is common knowledge," Cyrus could no longer contain his excitement. "and so, I welcome you to bear witness to their marriage."

And what an uproarious cheer rose up from the crowd, the loudest of which came from the table where Zane had been sitting. Kai gave a loud whistle, while Cole and Jay shouted enthusiastically and Lloyd clapped along with yet another defeated look on his face – of course he was happy for Zane, but would he ever win a bet against Kai?

"I realise this quite a big thing to suddenly spring on someone," Nya whispered, as she seemingly appeared out of nowhere standing next to Wu. "But I figured this would be the best time for it... The wedding, I mean."

"Oh, we already knew." Pixal confessed.

"But... how?" Nya wondered.

"As soon as I saw this outfit, I knew what it was for," Pixal sheepishly smiled. "it looks exactly like the bridal ensemble we saw in the department store, just modified slightly to look like the other winter dance outfits."

"Pixal messaged me yesterday morning to see how I felt about it," Zane admitted. "and we both agreed to go along with it."

"In that case, let the ceremony commence!" Nya cheered.


	13. White Shinto Wedding

Hello reader! Please forgive the lateness of this chapter, between work and my reluctance for the story to come to an end, I kept putting it off. But this will be the last chapter... unless anyone would like a follow up chapter, or some additional bonus chapters occasionally. Anyway, please find the glossary for this chapter. Enjoy!

Mon - Japanese emblems or crests used to identify a family line.

Haori - formal Japanese overcoat.

Geta - wooden sandals worn by samurai, geisha and maiko; Samurai Jack wears them.

Sake - Japanese rice wine, usually about 18-20 percent proof.

Koto - Japanese 13-stringed instrument, resembles a zither.

Shamisen - Japanese 3-string instrument, resembles a guitar.

Shiromuku - white, bridal kimono

Montsuki - Japanese bridegroom ensemble, consisting of a black kimono, black-and-white striped hakama and black haori emblazened with mon.

* * *

Following the announcement that a wedding ceremony had been arranged for Zane and Pixal, a brief interval was negotiated, and Zane was whisked away by Mr Abakhan. The waitresses went around the room with more drinks, while Nya, Ruby, Rose and Rae performed a simple festival dance to keep people entertained. Meanwhile, Zane was being decked out in the traditional wear for a groom, specifically designed and created for him using the measurements Mr Abakhan had on file.

"Fortunately your body hasn't changed," Mr Abakhan mentioned as he draped the black haori over Zane's shoulders and pointed to the white embroidered circles on the upper parts of the kimono. "I couldn't find your father's family crest, so I used the traditional symbol for ice as the mon here."

"This is wonderful," Zane smiled, admiring his reflection. "you truly are the most gifted designer in Ninjago."

"You flatter me too much, kind sir," Mr Abakhan beamed. "how is the fit?"

"Perfect."

Zane observed the quality of the black kimono and black-and-white striped hakama, and although it had been a while since he'd worn geta sandals like these, he was very comfortable in them. Suddenly, his friends came to see how he was getting on.

"Wow, you look great!" Lloyd declared.

"Thank you." Zane sheepishly grinned.

"I can't believe our little Zane is getting married," Jay wept jokingly. "for real though, this is really cool."

"We never would've guessed _you'd_ be the first to get married." Lloyd stated.

"Yeah, Jay maybe, possibly me," Kai surmised. "but you? You're just one big surprise."

"C'mon you guys," Cole interrupted. "Wu's ready to start."

They all walked back to the main hall, where the music was still playing, and the girls were still dancing. As they came through the curtain, Mr Borg raised his hand and the music paused. Once more he tapped on the microphone, the low murmur of chatter halted, and all eyes were in his direction. Nya and the girls moved to stand to the left of Pixal, who was herself standing by Sensei Wu. Zane walked towards them, with the ninja following behind, and he stopped in front of her. On seeing Zane in his traditional attire, Pixal's facial circuits glowed brighter; how handsome he looked in this manner of dress.

"Attention, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience," Wu announced over the microphone. "we will now begin the union of Pixal Borg and Zane Julien, with the traditional san-san-kudo."

Ruby came over and placed a small wooden table before the couple, and returned to where she once stood, followed by Rose, who placed three sakazuki cups on the table, and Rae, who placed a bottle of sake on the table. With the girls back in their original places, Sensei Wu poured sake into one of the three cups.

"The bride and groom will share three cups of sake, in a gesture known as san-san-kudo; the way of three-three-nine," Wu explained, handing the first cup to Pixal. "take three sips from this cup, then fill the next one with sake."

Pixal was a little unsure, not knowing if she was capable of taking in fluids, until she saw Mr Borg nodding assuredly at her. She took three gentle sips, as she was told, and placed the cup on the table, before filling the next cup and handing it to Zane. Their hands lightly brushed together, and they exchanged a minor static shock.

"Odd numbers cannot be divided in two, and so are considered extremely lucky in a joining ceremony such as this." Wu continued, as Zane took three sips from the cup, then filled the third cup with sake.

Wu looked at Zane, then Pixal, and back to Zane, then made a gesture with his hands. Understanding the silent signals of his sensei, Zane took a sip from the cup and handed it to Pixal. She too understood, as she also took a sip and handed the cup back to Zane. Zane took one last sip and placed the cup on the table.

He briefly looked to his friends; Jay had been reduced to a blubbering mess – even Cole looked like he was going to shed a tear – and Kai and Lloyd smiled proudly. Pixal too glanced over at the girls beside her. Nya was wiping her eyes with her hands (and somehow avoided smudging her make up), Ruby and Rae were positively agog with happiness, and Rose – much like Jay – was bawling like a child.

"The sharing of sake symbolises the union of two people and their families," Wu smiled at them both warmly. "what fate has brought together; no mortal can break apart."

Wu gently raised Pixal's left arm, then he reached over to lift Zane's left hand and placed it over Pixal's. Cameras flashed all around the room, committing this moment to be kept forever. He then stepped back, leaving them to face one another.

With her cheeks still radiating a vivid purple, Pixal lovingly beheld the nindroid in front of her as he curled his hand around hers. Zane beamed an adoring smile at Pixal and pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her waist. Those striking green eyes of hers glittered at him, her purple circuits sweetly glowed and her shining red lips gleamed. The whole room appeared to be collectively holding their breath, waiting for Zane to make a move. He pressed his lips to hers, sealing the san-san-kudo with a sweet, delicate kiss.

The room erupted into applause. He let go of her hand and fully embraced her as she draped her arms around his neck. Once again, the world seemed to fade away for a minute, as they enjoyed this moment for as long as they could. Even as they broke their sumptuous kiss, they spent a few seconds just looking into each other's eyes.

Nya grabbed a glass and a fork from a nearby table and made a clattering sound with them. The applause died down enough for her to speak.

"In honour of this momentous occasion," She began. "the Odori dancers would like to perform the _fuyu no odori,_ if the bride and groom would care to join us."

"We'd love to." Pixal replied.

Sensei Wu lifted the table – sake cups and all – and followed Kai, Cole, Lloyd and Jay as they moved to the side, eager to see what would happen next. Pixal and Zane moved to the middle of the dancefloor, as Ruby, Rae, Rose and Nya stood around them in a diamond formation. The orchestra players switched from their usual stringed instruments to more traditional ones, taking up a koto and a shamisen; except for the violinist, she opted for a taiko drum.

"I do not know this dance." Zane mentioned.

"You do not need to know this dance," Pixal assured him. "just listen to the music, let it guide you."

He smiled at her confidently; he had said those exact words to her a few years ago, when she had rebuilt him, and he spent an evening in her private bedroom, teaching her how to dance. As the violinist began beating out a steady rhythm on the taiko, the koto joined in with mid-tempo strumming, while the shamisen played a much smoother, melodious tune.

The girls in the outer formation began the winter dance by facing outwards, and rolling back and forth on their soft zori sandals. They gestured up with their hands and swayed downward with their arms, then as they brought their arms up again, they alternated stretching them out and pulling them back in; left arm out, right arm back, right arm out, left arm back. They twirled to the left and clapped once, then twirled to the right and hopped into a side step, swaying their arms up and clapping again. The audience clapped to the beat as the girls took small steps forward and rolled their arms upward, then took small steps backward and rolled their arms down again, repeating the motion by rocking on the balls of their feet.

They paused to double-clap three times, then faced the bridal couple as they began the routine over again. Encouraged by Pixal's excited smile, Zane stood before her and copied the moves shown to him. He deftly mimicked her movements to a tee. As the two of them moved in time to the music, it was like watching two sides of a mirror interact with one another. Not a foot or hand out of place, Zane and Pixal danced as if they had been built to do so, keeping pace with the odori dancers and each other.

Without missing a step, Nya waved Jay over, hoping to encourage more people to join the dance. Jay naturally dashed over to her and started trying to copy her moves, with mixed success until he got the hang of it. Ruby and Rae also waved to people in the audience, luring Jasper and Misako from their seats to have a go. Seeing Jasper up on the dancefloor, Cole also took the opportunity to join in. Meanwhile, Rose shook her hips a little more than was customary, in a bid to grab Kai's attention. It sort of worked, as Lloyd saw the signs first and dragged Kai onto the floor and placed the fire ninja next to his new admirer.

More and more people got up to dance – some making the moves up as they went along – and Jay saw this as a chance to show Nya what he'd learned from Zane. The next time she stretched out her arm, he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her close. He placed his hand on her waist and draped her wrist over his shoulder. Nya, completely blindsided by his forwardness, blushed furiously. Jay grinned at her, his cheeks also going red when she laced her free hand around his and smiled, batting her eyes at him.

 _It's now or never…_ He thought to himself.

He instantly took the lead, going straight into a loose box step and twirling around with her, making smooth, tango-esque movements with his legs. They shimmied together for a minute or two, when he suddenly let go of her waist and in one swift motion, spun her out and then back toward him. Even as they danced around together, she couldn't believe how light he was on his feet; he had never been this forthcoming with this ability – and she suspected he might have had some help learning these moves – but at the same time, she wasn't going to argue with how much fun she was having and how special she felt in that moment.

By this point, the timed and strategic _fuyu no odori_ had dissolved into people dancing as they normally would. Which was par for the course – the whole idea of the winter dance was to get the guests up and dancing with them – and it was a roaring success in that respect. Nya started to get into the swing of it, and began sashaying her hips and moving her legs as Jay had; delicate, rhythmic steps taken at just the right moment. She was really enjoying herself, laughing joyously as he spun her around one more time and dipped with her. As he pulled her up, she giggled some more and smiled widely at him.

"Wow, that was fun!" Nya exclaimed. "I had no idea you could dance like that."

"Thanks," Jay beamed. "I wanted to surprise you."

"Consider me surprised." Nya remarked.

Jay must have worked hard to learn how to dance in time for the gala, so Nya figured he deserved a more tangible acknowledgement. She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss, brushing her lips against his for a lingering moment. That one moment was not enough apparently, as Jay enthusiastically kissed back, thoroughly enjoying the reward she offered him. When he realised just how forward he was being, he stepped back and – anticipating a bad reaction – tried to pre-emptively win her over with one of his best smiles. It soon became clear however, that Nya didn't mind at all, in fact, she rather seemed to enjoy it.

"C'mon, let's get a drink." She suggested.

"Sure!" He replied.

Jay wasn't the only one who appeared to be having a spot of good luck with the ladies; Cole had been dancing with Jasper – the young lady who helped them with their tuxedo accessories at Ninjago 109. As the orchestra players started packing up, a DJ took their place, leaving a momentary pause in the music. They decided to get some refreshments after all the dancing, and leaned against the far wall.

"So, how do you know Hedges?" Cole wondered.

"He's my neighbour," Jasper answered. "I designed the tattoo on his leg."

"I haven't seen it," Cole mentioned. "but I'll bet it's amazing."

"Well, he seems to like it anyway," She said, downplaying her artistic merit. "and it's nice to be able to use my fine art degree for something."

"Woah, does that mean you went to Ninjago University?"

"Yeah, I wanted to do graphic design, but dad was an art historian, and since Ruby went off to be a seamstress, it fell on me to follow in the old man's footsteps," She mentioned. "I only started working at the department store to support myself while I'm apprenticing at the museum on weekends."

"I know that feeling; my dad's a Royal Blacksmith, so there was a lot of pressure on me to go to a theatre school, but I'm so much better at being a ninja." Cole looked around, wondering where dad was – he hadn't seen him since he got to Borg Industries.

"Thank you."

"What for?" He asked.

"That day when you and your friends came to the store, I was having a really bad day; just about everything that could go wrong, went wrong," She said as she turned to him with an affectionate smile. "then you came over, and started chatting me up… I felt so relaxed, and happy… so, thank you – you really helped."

"I'm glad to be of assistance." He grinned.

"Listen, I know being a ninja keeps you busy and everything, but, maybe we could hang out sometime?" She wondered, shuffling closer and brushing her hand against his. "You know, outside of formal events and stuff?"

"Yeah, yeah, that would be great," Cole enthusiastically nodded. "in the meantime though, what's say we have another dance?"

"I'd love to." Jasper smiled, grabbing his hand and leading him back to the dancefloor.

* * *

Benson sat between his best friend and his boyfriend as they all enjoyed a drink together. The gala was definitely in full swing now, and most of the guests were on the dancefloor; even the newlyweds were still dancing, displaying moves that the average person would not be able to pull off.

"Ah young love, am I right?" Hedges declared.

"I'm glad to see you've come around," Benson laughed. "you were really bitter about them before."

"Yeah, but I realised that everyone should have the opportunity to find love-" Hedges paused to have a drink. "-even droids."

"I think they're so cute together!" Jack noted as he stifled a giggle. "Looks like the earth ninja stole your date."

"Who? Jasper?" Hedges snorted. "No way – she's too young for me – but her sister is one of the Odori dancers, so I figured it would be fun for her to be here too."

"Hey there, gents, may we join you?"

Hedges turned to see Ed and Edna standing beside him.

"Yeah sure, have a seat." He smiled.

"Why thank you, young man." Edna smiled back as they both sat down.

"Hedges, Harry Hedges; security personnel," Hedge introduced himself. "nice to meet you."

"Ed Walker, this is the missus, Edna." Ed beamed.

"Nice to meet you." Edna grinned.

"Hi, I'm Bailey Benson, also security personnel, and this is Jack Jensen my boyfriend." Benson added.

"Hello." Jack smiled and waved.

"Oh, how sweet!" Edna cooed.

"So, how do you know the newlyweds?" Benson asked.

"Our son is friends with them, he's one of the ninja," Ed replied. "they came to our scrapyard a couple times."

"Oh yes, they're such an adorable couple!" Edna said.

"Which ninja is your son?" Jack asked.

"Jay." Ed nodded.

"The Lightning ninja?" Benson squeaked.

"Yep, that's the one." Edna beamed proudly.

"Oh my gosh! He's my favourite!" Benson excitedly shuffled in his seat. "I only met him once but he's super nice!"

"He's a good boy," Ed stated. "it would be nice to see him more often, but being a ninja keeps pretty him busy there."

"Yes, ninja work is not as easy as I first thought," Lou chimed in as he took a seat next to Jack. "Lou Hence – I'm Coles father – nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, I'm Jack Jenson – huge fan of your son," Jack shook Lou's hand eagerly. "they've all been through some scrapes for sure, but they always come through in the end."

"I'd say this little celebration is a nice break for all of them." Lou surmised.

"How about a toast?" Hedges wondered, raising his glass. "To the ninja; who keep us all safe and expect nothing back, may the year ahead be good to them."

"Cheers!" They all said in unison, clinking their glasses together.

"And one for the newlyweds, may they stay as healthy and happy as they are tonight." Lou suggested.

"Here, here!" Again speaking all at once, they clinked glasses once more.

"Oh I do love a wedding." Edna wept as she watched Zane and Pixal dancing.

"You've always been a romantic there, hun." Ed chuckled, patting his wife on the shoulder.

"So when are you two planning to get married?" Hedges asked Benson and Jack.

"Oh, um, we've only just… I mean-" Benson stammered.

"Oh Hedges, stop tormenting him," Jack laughed, squeezing Benson's hand reassuringly. "when we're ready, you'll be the first to know, we promise."

* * *

The gala was starting to wind down now, as it was very nearly 1am, though the DJ was still going strong. Everyone had at some point or another approached Pixal and Zane, to congratulate them and wish them well for the future. Cole managed to finally get Jasper's phone number, and escorted both her and her older sister Ruby to where they were catching their ride. Rose managed to get a kiss from Kai – albeit a perfectly innocent peck on the cheek – before she had to leave early to take Rae home; Rae had enjoyed one too many cocktails and only tapped out when Rose reminded her how bad her last hangover was.

While Rae was the only one who went overboard on the drinks, she wasn't the only one to indulge a little; the whole team had enjoyed their share of the open bar – even Wu was not immune to the call of sake, as over the course of the night he'd finished the bottle used in the san-san-kudo ceremony. He and Misako had left about an hour ago, driven back to the hotel by one of Mr Borg's staff.

"Well, I hope you liked your surprise wedding," Nya giggled. "it was so difficult keeping it a secret."

"It was beautiful," Pixal nodded, taking Nya's hand. "we both thank you so much for all your efforts."

"Yes, it was very sweet that you did this for us." Zane agreed, putting his arm around Pixal's shoulder.

"Weddings are just so emotional for me!" Jay wept.

"We had noticed," Lloyd chuckled as he stumbled and pulled Jay into a headlock. "you sappy cheese-ball."

"Dude, get off me!" Jay laughed.

"C'mon Lloyd, let the sappy cheese-ball go." Kai shook his head and smiled.

"Aw, you're no fun!" Lloyd pouted as he let go of Jay and promptly draped himself over Kai. "Give me a piggyback!"

"Alright, alright," Kai relented. "but just until we get downstairs."

"He really shouldn't have had that last drink." Cole grinned, somewhat enjoying the sight of Lloyd being so uninhibited.

"You're one to talk, I saw you and Jasper during that last dance before she left," Nya smirked and leaned toward Jay. "if her sister hadn't been here too she probably would've taken him home with her."

"What would Mr Hedges make of that?" Pixal wondered aloud.

"Depends on how soundproof her apartment is." Nya snickered.

"Oh my…" Pixal put her hand over her mouth to cover the shocked expression on her face.

"Speaking of which, are you guys coming back to the hotel with us?" Nya asked Pixal.

"I did take the liberty of booking a special suite for you both," Cyrus Borg intervened. "as part of my wedding gift."

"Thank you sir," Pixal bowed. "that is very kind of you."

"Come now, I do think it's high time you called me 'dad'," Cyrus insisted. "you are, after all, my daughter."

"Thank you… father." She said.

There was a collective moment of emotional overwhelm at hearing Pixal refer to Cyrus Borg as her father for the very first time. It was all too much for Jay, who promptly burst into tears, while the others certainly became misty eyed at the whole affair. A waitress soon appeared with a tray of champagne, much to everyone's surprise – last call was at least ten minutes ago.

"I realise that you are all quite tired-"

"And some of us have had enough alcohol for one night" Cole joked, gesturing to Jay and Lloyd respectively.

"-but I haven't had the chance to give a toast all evening," Cyrus mentioned. "and this is indeed a very special occasion."

Everyone took a glass of champagne and held them up.

"To Pixal and Zane; my darling daughter and wonderful son-in-law, may you have a long and happy future together-" He paused as a few tears fell from his eyes. "I'm sorry, please give me a moment…"

"To Nya, who helped arrange the wedding," Kai took over while Mr Borg composed himself. "to Mr Abakhan, for his excellent tailoring of the shiromuku and montsuki, and to Mr Borg, without whom none of this would even have happened."

"Here, here!" Lloyd agreed from his place on Kai's back.

"Here, here…" Zane nuzzled his face against Pixal's.

They clinked their glasses together, and took a sip of champagne – well, most of them took a sip; Jay, Nya and Lloyd had a little more than that.

"Alright, that's enough." Kai insisted, taking Lloyd's glass out of his hands and placing it on a nearby table.

"Well, your ride is waiting outside the main entrance," Cyrus mentioned. "I'll bid you all goodnight for now, but hopefully you will join me for a celebratory lunch later?"

"It would be an honour." Zane bowed.


	14. BONUS - Hangover

Hello reader, please enjoy this mature bonus chapter. **WARNING, GREENFLAME LEMON INCOMING** so if that's not your thing I highly recommend waiting for the next connected fanfic I'm planning - "After Party" - which is where I will put any further bonus chapters for this story (people going on dates, Zane and Pixal post-wedding fluff, and other random shenanigans).

Also, I have never written a yaoi lemon before, so please bear in mind my n00bness when reading it.

Enjoy!

* * *

Kai groggily opened his eyes.

His head was spinning, his mouth was as dry as stale toast, and his chest felt as though someone were sitting on it. He tried to recall the night before; the gala, the surprise wedding, the open bar… the ride back to the hotel turning into a late night bar hop. That would explain the headache, but why couldn't he sit up? As he raised his head to see what was pinning him down, he was surprised to see Lloyd, sprawled across him like a starfish and wearing nothing but pyjama pants.

He put his head back on the pillow and looked up at the ceiling, while Lloyd's soft breathing purred in the background. What was Lloyd even doing in here? This wasn't his room, Kai was certain of it, but it could've been worse; neither of them were naked at least. However, as he searched his mind for clues, the memories soon came back.

* * *

" _So she was caught outside, in the middle of the night, with no trousers!" Pixal recounted, telling of the first time Rae got drunk at a staff party. "Poor Rose was mortified!"_

 _The others all fell about laughing as they sat in the corner booth. This wasn't the original plan; the original plan was to go for one more drink then head back to their hotel, yet here they all were – at 3 am – loitering in a trendy bar and still enjoying themselves._

" _Rae sure knows how to knock them back." Nya chuckled._

" _Look who's talking," Cole countered. "that's your fourth glass of wine since we got here!"_

" _And why not?"_

" _Why not, indeed," Pixal raised her glass. "Nya worked very hard, not just to arrange the wedding, but also to learn the winter dance – if anyone deserves to 'cut loose' it is her."_

" _Here, here!" Zane agreed._

" _You've barely touched your drink," Lloyd swayed, prodding Kai's face. "what's up with that?"_

" _Someone's gotta keep an eye on you guys." Kai mentioned as he had a swig of beer._

" _C'mon bro, we've got this guy here to look after us," Nya turned to the suited gentleman sitting opposite her; their designated driver and the one who recommended this bar in the first place. "I'm sorry, I forgot your name."_

" _It's Mr Johnson, miss, but you may call me Jake if you so choose," He replied, finishing his glass of soda. "would anyone like another drink?"_

" _Thank you sir," Pixal beamed. "the same again, if you would."_

" _Yes, ma'am." Mr Johnson got up and headed over to the bar._

" _Come on, let's give him a hand." Cole announced, tugging on Jay's sleeve._

" _I dread to know what our tab looks like!" Jay laughed as he and Cole went over to Mr Johnson._

" _I would not be too concerned, Mr Bo- sorry, my father, is covering our post-gala refreshments," Pixal remarked. "he figured we might wish to go out after the main event was over."_

" _It's nice to have friends in high places." Kai winked at her._

" _It is a good thing that sensei left before we did," Zane declared with a smile. "I cannot imagine he would approve of us staying up this late."_

" _Well, it is a one off," Lloyd shrugged. "it's not like we make a habit of it."_

" _Considering this is our first late night where alcohol is involved, I believe we're all doing quite well." Zane nodded. "I thought we would be back at the hotel well before this time."_

" _Don't you be thinking about the honeymoon just yet," Nya grinned. "we're only just into the after party."_

 _Zane felt his face heat up at Nya's overt insinuations. Lloyd and Nya started giggling, especially when Pixal leaned on his shoulder and glanced up at him; her green eyes brightly shimmering and a big, joyous smile adorning her lips._

" _I hear that Wu is gonna be teaching Pixal some fighting basics." Kai said, changing the subject.._

" _Yes, we are concerned about my ability to protect myself when Zane is not around." Pixal answered._

" _We cannot have a repeat of what happened on Chen's island." Zane mentioned darkly._

" _No kidding, but I gotta admit, I wish I could've seen it," Kai raised an eyebrow at Zane and flashed a half-smile. "you're always so calm, it would be amazing to see what it looks like when you go ballistic."_

" _It would be… interesting to see what you all would make of my explosive side," Zane mildly agreed, before protectively placing his arm around Pixal. "however, to do so would entail certain risks."_

" _Such as not being able to stop the explosion once it has started." Pixal put her hand on his and gave a gentle squeeze._

" _Am I the only one getting chills?" Lloyd shuddered._

" _You need to lay off the nitrogen-topped cocktails." Kai reprimanded._

 _Soon, Johnson, Cole and Jay returned with the next round of drinks, and their late-night merriment continued. The music was thumping in the background and the ninja continued talking about the gala, and the wedding – with Jay getting mildly emotional again, likely fuelled by the alcohol in his system – and how much fun they'd had, doing something different to their usual routine._

* * *

Kai somehow managed to sit up and rolled Lloyd off of his chest and onto the foot of the bed. Holy crap, his head was really pounding now. He had a good stretch and stood up, stumbling into the bathroom as though he were still half cut. Having splashed some water on his face, Kai made his way to the minibar. There were a few bottles of water in there the last time he looked, and he had such a dry throat that he had a look to see if they were still there. Upon opening the door, he noticed all the alcohol that once rested on the shelves was now gone.

He took a bottle of water and practically downed half of it in one go. When he turned around to look at Lloyd, he saw the empty bottles littered on the carpet and shook his head.

* * *

" _Onward, mighty steed!" Lloyd yelled happily as Kai piggybacked him around._

" _Shh! Keep your voice down – people are trying to sleep!" Kai shushed him._

 _It was nearly 4:30am by the time they finished bar hopping and went back to the hotel. Poor Johnson looked exhausted as he dropped them off and politely took his leave. Everyone was well and truly drunk at this point, with the exception of Zane and Pixal, who – apart from being more affectionate with each other – appeared unaffected by the alcohol. They all said their goodnights as the elevator stopped on their respective floors – Nya and Jay's rooms were on the 5_ _th_ _floor, Zane and Pixal were on the top floor, and Cole, Kai and Lloyd were on the 7_ _th_ _floor; though Cole's room was at the opposite end to Kai and Lloyd's._

" _Ooh, here's my room." Lloyd beamed as Kai let him down._

" _This is my room actually," He corrected. "yours is next door."_

" _Aww, you're not going to bed already?" Lloyd pouted as Kai fumbled with the card key to open the door._

" _Well, I am kinda tired." Kai eventually got the door open and stumbled in._

" _Aw c'mon," Lloyd whined as he followed Kai into his room. "I'm not tired yet, can't we stay up a bit longer?"_

" _What for?" Kai wondered. "The others have all gone to bed, we should too."_

" _We could play a game." Lloyd suggested, closing the door behind him._

" _Game?" Kai looked at him with a confused expression._

" _Yeah, a drinking game." Lloyd grinned at him._

 _Kai sighed as he took off his jacket and cummerbund. Letting Lloyd drink alcohol had apparently opened pandora's box; he couldn't get enough, even after several hours of indulging in it. Kai removed the bow tie and unbuttoned his shirt, before aimlessly sitting down on the bed._

" _I'm dry docking you after this, you know that right?" Kai warned, kicking off his shoes._

" _I'll dry dock myself if you play a drinking game with me," Lloyd insisted. "it's just for the experience, I swear."_

" _Fine," Kai reluctantly agreed. "what are we playing?"_

 _Lloyd bent down to open the minibar, only to fall over. He started laughing and opened the fridge from his seated position, pulling out a handful of ornamental-shaped bottles full of different coloured liquid. Lloyd squinted at the green bottle, the words on the label blurring as he tried to read them._

" _Truth or dare, with these… whatever they are." Lloyd said as he passed the bottle to Kai._

 _Kai too struggled to read the label, having had considerably more beer in the past 24 hours than he'd ever had in his life. While Kai was trying to figure out what was in the bottle, Lloyd decided to get comfortable, and removed his jacket, cummerbund and bow tie – flinging them to one side with careless abandon._

" _Ab…sinthe?" Kai attempted to pronounce the word._

" _Cool," Lloyd grinned, planting himself next to Kai on the bed. "we'll do rock, paper, scissors, and whoever loses has to drink one of these, then do truth or dare."_

" _Alright." Kai agreed._

 _They each raised one hand and with each of them counting down, one… two… three… Lloyd lost the first draw and Kai handed back the green bottle. Lloyd unscrewed the lid and the intense scent of aniseed wafted out of it. Kai waved encouragingly at him with a smug grin on his face. Lloyd took a swig of the stuff straight from the bottle; his eyes went wide as the strength of the drink hit him with full force._

" _Truth or dare?" Kai asked._

" _Dare." Lloyd breathed._

" _I dare you to get a bucket of ice in just your underwear." Kai smirked._

" _But the ice machine is two floors down!" Lloyd protested._

" _A dare's a dare…"_

" _Fine." Lloyd necked the rest of the bottle, before he took off his shirt and pulled down his pants._

 _He stepped out of them and walked out of the room in nothing but his boxers and his socks. Kai laughed to himself; Lloyd was so straight-laced, he simply had to indulge in a dare that would expose the leader's weakness. It was funny seeing Lloyd so laid back – he couldn't wait to see where this game would eventually lead. Some ten minutes went by, before Lloyd returned with a bucket of ice and a face redder than Kai's ninja uniform. Kai burst out laughing._

" _What happened?"_

" _I almost ran into a couple of businessmen on the way back," Lloyd fumed. "I had to duck behind the vending machine!"_

" _Here, have another drink." Kai chuckled._

 _Lloyd left the bucket of ice on the desk and challenged his compatriot to rock, paper, scissors. This time, Lloyd was victorious. He selected the red bottle and gave it to Kai, who had a mouthful and promptly started coughing._

" _Jeez that stuff is strong." Kai grimaced._

" _So, truth or dare?" Lloyd baited._

" _Truth."_

" _Do you think you'll marry Skylor?" Lloyd asked._

" _What?" Kai stared at him as though he were speaking another language._

" _You and Skylor seemed pretty close," Lloyd noted, sitting next to Kai once more. "I know you haven't seen her much since the tournament, but still..."_

" _Yeah, about that," Kai nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "don't get me wrong, of course I still like her, a lot – but we don't really get the chance to spend time together, what with her running the family business, and me being a ninja; always training and fighting – my relationship with Skylor is nowhere near the level that Zane and Pixal's is."_

" _Well, what about Rose?" Lloyd hinted. "She liked you."_

" _The dancer? Yeah, she's cute, but again it's the whole distance thing…"_

" _Maybe you just need to learn how to make a long distance relationship work."_

" _Maybe… anyway, next round." Kai deflected._

" _Rock, paper, scissors." They said out loud._

" _Victory is mine!" Kai cheered, as he fell off the bed._

 _He picked up the yellow bottle and gave it to Lloyd with a cheeky grin. Lloyd opened it – again the strong scent of liquor wafted up to him – and drank the lot in one go; fortunately it was only a small bottle, but it definitely tasted stronger than the last one. He felt a wave of coldness go through his body, starting at his feet and swiftly washing up to his head._

" _So, truth or dare?" Kai wondered._

" _Dare!" Lloyd smirked._

" _I dare you to drink this one-" Kai grinned and picked up the blue bottle. "-in one go."_

" _But I just had the yellow one!" Lloyd protested._

" _Listen, tomorrow we'll have to go back to the old routine," Kai unsteadily leaned over and put his hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "we gotta have some fun while we can."_

 _Lloyd seemed convinced – if mildly embarrassed by Kai invading his personal space in this manner – and as he downed all 40ml, Kai couldn't help but laugh at Lloyd's reaction; he was half expecting steam to come out of the blond ninja's ears. The truth was, Kai wanted to put Lloyd off drinking to this extent ever again, and giving him the hangover to end all hangovers seemed like a good way to do it._

" _Holy…" Lloyd shook his head as he suddenly became quite dizzy._

" _One bottle left; one more game," Kai mentioned, waving the black bottle in his hand. "and then you have to go to bed."_

" _Okay," Lloyd gave a lop-sided grin and held out his hand for one last rock, paper, scissors match… and won. "hoorah, my turn again!"_

 _Kai sighed and opened the final bottle. He had a feeling that this was a bad idea, but what the hell – he'd been drinking pretty consistently for several hours now, and apart from stumbling a bit, he hadn't been affected by it that much. The smell of liquorice and high-strength spirit drifted out and assaulted his senses. He looked at Lloyd, who was sitting there in just his boxers – his face red from sheer alcohol consumption – as his body wavered from side to side. Eventually, Kai bit the bullet, and tilted his head back; necking the entire bottle._

" _Ergh!" Kai winced and stuck his tongue out._

 _Lloyd found the whole thing utterly hilarious… until Kai went wide-eyed and froze in place, falling off the bed without so much as a whimper._

" _Kai, are you okay?" Lloyd panicked, hurriedly staggered over and began slapping Kai's face._

 _A moment later, Kai came around. His cheeks had gone from a jolly pink to a drunken red and he pulled a gigantic smile. He groggily propped himself up and smiled at Lloyd._

" _Well, are we playing this game or what?" Kai asked, as if he hadn't just passed out._

" _Okay," Lloyd smiled back. "Truth or dare!"_

" _Truth."_

" _If you…" Lloyd hesitated for a moment. "If you… had to kiss one of your teammates – one of the guys, I mean – who would you pick?"_

" _Pfft, how should I know?" Kai responded with a laugh. "It's not the sort of thing you think about… why, have_ you _thought about it?"_

" _Maybe…" Lloyd turned away; his red face getting even redder._

" _Lloyd, are you trying to tell me that-" Kai tried to put the pieces together. "-_ you _wanted to marry Zane?"_

" _No."_

" _Hey, no judgment here," Kai assured him. "so it's Cole then, yeah? I should've known you'd be into the strong silent type."_

" _No!" Lloyd pouted._

" _Well, you won't have much luck with Jay, he's too smitten with Nya and-"_

" _It's you, you idiot!" Lloyd interrupted, before covering his mouth with his hand._

 _A peculiar silence followed, as the young men sat on the floor of the hotel room – in various states of undress – and tried to absorb in this new information. The alcohol made them incapable of sitting completely still, as their bodies involuntarily swayed. Lloyd couldn't look at Kai, he was so embarrassed that his little secret had come out; all it took was a night of excessive drinking, but it finally came out._

" _Does this mean you're-"_

" _No, I'm not… that way, I just…" Lloyd heaved a weighty sigh. "Look, I don't care that you're a guy, I didn't fall in love with your gender; I fell in love with_ you. _"_

" _Lloyd…"_

" _The secret's out now, but maybe we could find a way to still be teammates and-"_

 _Lloyd was silenced as he noticed Kai looking at him hungrily, licking his lips as he shuffled closer. A wide, hotshot grin appeared on Kai's face, and Lloyd became suddenly aware that he was wearing only his boxer shorts and socks, while Kai continued to get closer to him until they were but a breath apart._

" _Is this why you always make bets with me?" Kai flirtatiously murmured. "So I can get close enough to whisper?"_

" _No." Lloyd could feel his heart beating even faster, feel his face burning hotter, with the object of his once-secret affections looming near him._

 _Kai placed his hand on Lloyd's jaw and leaned even closer, hot breath brushing against his lips. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was his own hidden desires coming to the surface, all Kai knew was that right now, this is what he wanted; now he knew that this is also what Lloyd wanted, there was no stopping him._

" _So if I wanted to kiss you, you wouldn't stop me?" Kai growled._

" _No…" Lloyd breathed, as he leaned forward and stole the kiss being offered to him._

 _He was well aware that he was just in his undies, drunkenly kissing his equally-drunk teammate and falling deeper under the spell he'd first succumbed to about a year ago, but he didn't care. On the contrary, it felt great being able to wrap his arms around Kai's chest, to feel the heat of their bodies mingling together, to know how his lips tasted. Lloyd melted, as Kai fiercely kissed him back, briefly dipping out his tongue to lick those soft lips. Lloyd responded in kind and with great fervour, as he pulled Kai into a French kiss, heatedly grabbing his shirt collar and wrestling tongues with the fire ninja._

 _Such was the desperate need Lloyd had for his compatriot, that when Kai broke the kiss to take off his shirt, Lloyd immediately grabbed him again. Even as Kai attempted to remove his pants, Lloyd was too interested in getting his fair share of Kai's affection. It was only when Kai accidentally touched Lloyd's boxers that he faltered, moaning at even the briefest touch. Kai beamed at him coolly, as he touched Lloyd again, earning another weak moan._

" _You like it when I do this?" Kai asked, as he began to stroke the area where Lloyd seemed the most sensitive._

" _Uuhh…" Lloyd gasped, biting his lip._

 _Kai continued to stroke the ever-hardening bulge in Lloyd's underwear, and smiled wider with every illicit groan he purred out. He took his teammates hand and placed it near his own hardening prospects. Lloyd nervously held his hand against the hot, hard object hiding under Kai's boxers and gently started rubbing. Kai let out a subtle growl and shoved Lloyd backwards. Lloyd now lay sprawled on the floor with his arms above his head, completely at Kai's mercy. With a demure smile, Kai hovered over Lloyd and breathed gently in his ear; he shuddered and moaned. Kai chuckled and softly ran his fingers along the chiselled torso of his prey, before he reached over and sank his teeth into Lloyd's shoulder._

" _Ah!" Lloyd shouted. "You bit me!"_

" _And you taste delicious." Kai teased, licking his teeth._

"… _Do it again…" Lloyd smirked._

" _Oh ho, you've gone pretty kinky all of a sudden." Kai snarled._

 _He pinned down Lloyd's arms at the wrist and pressed himself against his leader. As Lloyd writhed beneath him, cheeks red with absinthe and enjoyment – his voice desperate and yearning – Kai could feel the stirrings of passion from both of them; twitching, scorching, throbbing arousal, separated only by the thin cotton of their underwear. And yet, it was also mildly amusing to have the leader of the elemental ninja at such a disadvantage. Kai ardently took Lloyd's mouth once more, in a sensual, urgent battle of tongues and intoxicated lust._

" _Are you sure this is what you want?" Kai mumbled._

" _Hell yes." Lloyd answered._

 _With that, Kai raised Lloyd's hips, just enough to pull off his starched white boxer shorts. Kai firmly grabbed Lloyd's hardness, and freely began rubbing it. He would be lying if he said he was surprised by the size of it; he'd had fleeting glimpses in the past – not that he was in the habit of looking – but seeing Lloyd panting and writhing in his grasp was incredibly exciting. Even for all his inebriated stumbling, Kai was effectively stimulating the thick, hot shaft as if he had experienced this before. Well, he had, but the playing was usually done with his own equipment, not someone else's. Finally, it all became too much, and Kai paused lavishing his affection on Lloyd's hardness long enough to pull off his own underwear. He growled and heaved deep, desirous breaths, briefly resisting the fierce desire to savage him._

" _This might hurt," Kai warned. "are you sure you're okay with this?"_

" _Yes," Lloyd spoke, his voice full of carnal insistence. "I'm yours Kai; take me."_

 _Kai could no longer hold back. He took the band-aid approach and entered Lloyd's tight body in one smooth thrust; though judging by the minimal resistance he felt, it was clear that the green ninja's body was eagerly anticipating this. Lloyd groaned loudly, half in pain and half swimming in lascivious bliss. Kai stopped for a moment, and as Lloyd's wide-eyed expression turned from discomfort to delight, he momentarily pulled back and thrust into him again. There was a brief moment of clarity while Kai continued to thrust into Lloyd with reckless abandon, that perhaps this would make things awkward for them both in the cold light of day – that if they weren't both drunk out of their comfort zone, this wouldn't be happening right now – but such lucidity was swiftly overtaken by the erotic pleasure of what they were doing._

 _Lloyd raised his arms and reached out for Kai to hold him, moaning and whimpering as the muscular fire ninja plundered his body. Kai wrapped his arms around Lloyd's back and pulled him into his lap, still pounding him from a kneeling position. Lloyd lewdly stole another wet, passionate kiss from Kai, not stopping even when Kai began stroking Lloyd's hard, dripping rod as he rammed into him._

" _Ah…" Kai could feel himself weakening. "Lloyd, I'm getting close… can I…?"_

" _Yeah, just… don't stop… touching me…" Lloyd gasped, pressing his body to Kai's and draping his arms behind Kai's neck. "dammit, I'm gonna…"_

 _In a glorious moment of heightened ecstasy, Kai yelled out as he released his hot, sticky fluid into Lloyd, while Lloyd's emissions ended up on both of them, spurting out while they were still latched onto one another. They remained in their heated embrace, panting heavily and basking in the sweet afterglow. Suddenly they looked at each other, slightly flustered and still gently drifting in the pool of tipsiness, when Lloyd realised he had left a trail of viscous fluid on Kai's body._

" _I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"_

" _Don't apologise," Kai murmured. "we both got a little… overenthusiastic."_

" _Well, we could always have a bath," Lloyd suggested. "it looks big enough for two."_

" _Good idea," Kai agreed as he and Lloyd clumsily separated themselves from their romantic entanglement. "I'll go run it for us."_

* * *

As it all came flooding back, Kai's face burned in embarrassment. How could they ever just go back to being teammates after what happened? He went over to Lloyd and tried to jostle him awake, only for him to grumble as he rolled over and went back to sleep. Kai had never known Lloyd to sleep in this late. Having said that, they'd never been on such an epic bender before, so he was probably sleeping off his hangover.

He picked up the empty bottles and put them in the bin, hoping that Mr Borg wouldn't mind a few extra charges on the bill. Kai shook his head. He was never gonna drink like that again – it would take days to get his body back to its usual equilibrium. Kai sat on the bed and watched Lloyd sleeping for a bit. He smiled and reached over to ruffle his already messy hair. It was surprising that Lloyd was wearing pants, given that the last memory he could pick up on was the two of them naked in the bath together.

* * *

" _Now what?" Kai asked, as they sat in the soothing hot water and drank beer together._

" _Nothing." Lloyd replied._

 _Even though he was drunk, Lloyd knew that this little foray of theirs would have to be a one off. They were bound to get into some trouble for helping themselves to yet another couple of bottles from the minibar, let alone if anyone found out they'd actually had sex._

" _So we just… go back to normal?" Kai said, raising an eyebrow at Lloyd's one word answer.._

" _Or wait until the next night out maybe," Lloyd mentioned. "don't get me wrong, you were amazing, and I've had a blast, but this isn't gonna work between us."_

" _Why not?" Kai demanded._

" _Kai, how do you think Skylor would react if she found out about this?" Lloyd wondered._

" _You're talking like she's my girlfriend; she isn't," Kai insisted. "we've never been on a real date, we haven't discussed what our relationship is, we haven't even kissed yet!"_

" _As if that means anything," Lloyd poignantly noted. "you and I have never been on a date either, you and I haven't discussed what our relationship is, but we still had sex – not that we'll remember any of it tomorrow."_

" _And what if we do?" Kai paused to have a mouthful of beer._

" _It'll be a wonderful memory," Lloyd sighed. "but as Ninjago's protectors we have a priority – the team has to come first."_

" _You never said anything like that to Zane," Kai pouted. "and he just got married – his priorities are gonna change now, ya know?"_

" _Look, if we could make a go of things like this, I'd be ecstatic," Lloyd necked what was left of his beer. "but let's be honest, stolen moments are all we're gonna get."_

" _Well, stolen moments are better than nothing," Kai smiled. "so if it's alright with you, then it's fine by me."_

 _Lloyd smiled and nodded in agreement._

" _Now, come here…" Kai demanded, leaning over to steal another tipsy kiss._

* * *

"Ugghhhh…" Lloyd groaned as he finally woke up.

"Morning sleeping beauty," Kai joked. "how do you feel?"

He never got an answer, as Lloyd suddenly jumped up and bolted into the bathroom. Kai winced at the aggressive retching noises that followed and grabbed a bottle of water, ready for when Lloyd eventually came out. There was a flushing sound, and the blond ninja staggered out of the bathroom looking as grey as a sidewalk. He flopped onto the bed and groaned in pain.

"That bad, huh?" Kai said as he handed over the bottle of water. "Don't drink it too fast, or you'll be sick again."

"Thanks," Lloyd grumbled, taking small sips. "what time is it?"

"Not even 10:30 yet." Kai replied as he sat down on the bed looked at the nearby clock.

"I feel like I've been hit by truck." Lloyd stammered.

"Me too, but at least I wasn't sick." Kai grinned.

"I never should've insisted on playing that drinking game." He lamented, standing up and stumbling over to the full length mirror to examine his ashen face.

"Oh, I don't know, we had fun didn't we?" Kai baited, hoping to find out what else Lloyd remembered.

"Yeah," Lloyd smiled to himself. "last night was great."

"So you do remember last night?" Kai asked directly.

The air quickly became thick with tension. Though Lloyd had not answered the question, his silence spoke more volumes than anything he could've said. Kai didn't want to make things uncomfortable, but they needed to have this out with each other while they were still in private; Lloyd was right about one thing, the team had to come first, and they couldn't risk dragging out this awkwardness in front of the others.

The silence lingered a little too long, so Kai opted to break it.

"Would it help if I apologised?" Kai offered. "I was a bit rough with you."

"No, don't apologise, I really enjoyed it," Lloyd walked over to Kai and sat beside him. "well, I am a _little_ sore; I didn't know you were so big…"

"Flattery will get you everywhere." Kai winked and gave him a playful shove.

"But I stand by what I said in the bath," Lloyd remarked. "this thing between us, it won't work."

"Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed," Kai sighed. "but you're right, we gotta put team dynamics first."

"Ugh, I'm exhausted…" Lloyd changed the subject, falling backwards onto the bed.

"I'm not surprised, we probably didn't get to bed until like, 6am – well, to sleep anyway."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Given that Lloyd was inconsiderably worse condition, Kai got up to answer it. He already had pyjama pants on, so he grabbed a t shirt before he went to answer whoever was knocking. Kai opened the door to see the concierge, bowing politely and offering him two sealed envelopes.

"Forgive the intrusion, Sir," the young man apologised. "but one of these is for your associate in the room next door, and no one is answering, I wonder if you could pass it onto them on my behalf?"

"Sure." Kai answered as he took the envelopes.

"Thank you, Sir." The concierge bowed again and headed back the way he came.

Kai shut the door and eyed the envelopes curiously. The fancy paper and wax seal looked very familiar.

"Who was it?" Lloyd asked.

"A guy from the front desk," Kai handed one of the envelopes to Lloyd. "there's one for each of us."

"Is it just me or have you seen this seal before too?" Lloyd opened it and pulled out an invitation card. "It's from Mr Borg…'Cyrus Borg cordially invites you to Sapporo Teppanyaki for a post-wedding celebration this evening at 6pm'… think I'll have time to get some extra sleep before then?"

Suddenly there was another knock on the door.

"Not if this keeps happening," Kai joked as he once again answered the door, only to see someone completely unexpected. "Jasper?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought this was Cole's room." She mused, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"No, he's in 23," Kai grinned. "this is 93."

Jasper paused to look at the door and at the small bit of paper in her hand.

"Oops, terribly sorry, it's my handwriting you know," Jasper showed the paper to Kai; indeed the 2 looked like a 9. "it must be right on the other end of this floor."

"Yep, tell him I said hi."

"I will, thank you." Jasper smiled and waved at Kai, before turning on her heel and walking away.

"Did you hear that Lloyd?" Kai smugly asked as he closed the door. "Jasper has gone to visit Cole in his hotel room…"


End file.
